Exhortation to Enter the Kingdom of Heaven

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Psalm 69:19–21 ESV

You know my reproach, and my shame and my dishonor; my foes are all known to you. Reproaches have broken my heart, so that I am in despair. I looked for pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none. They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.

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Reading

Matthew 7:13–29 ESV

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. “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.’ “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

Sermon

CItizens of the Kingdom

Their relation to the world

The righteousness the King grants and demands of them

Enter the Kingdom

Christian Path vs Unbelievers Road (v13-14)

Tender warnings to follow “The Way” (v15-20)

Contrasts two final destinations (v21-27)

Beginning of the Way

Matthew 7:13–14 ESV

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Entering the Kingdom of Heaven

Journey which starts with entering a gate and travelling a path

1) Two Gates and Two Ways

Narrow Gate

Diresirable/Favourable: Kingdom of Heaven - comforted, inherit the earth, fully satisfied etc

Unfavourable:

Persecuted, insulted, & slandered

Burdened by heavy obligations (practice righteousness that excells that of the scribes & pharasees)

Love your enemies, pray for your persecuters

must not be hypercritical, but discriminating (etc)

Clash with man’s natural tendencies

Jesus, unlike “revivalists” does not present “getting saved” as the easiest thing in the world

A Narrow Gate which must be found

A path that is narrow and difficult to travel

Jesus speaks to thoughtless & selfish sinners whose hearts are drawn and whose consciences have been touched by his presentation of blessedness they may expect and the righteousness expected of them

Narrow Gate: Luke 18: 25 “For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."

To enter the camel must be stripped of its baggage

Consuming desire for earth goods, unforgiving spirit, selfishness and self-righteousness

Narrow gate is self-denial and obedience

A conscious choice has been made

The way of sinners is exchanged for the way of righteousness

Yet our old nature is not conquered until the moment of death

So a bitter struggle develops

Each day brings about renewed “conversion”, that is santification

Broad Gate and Broad Way

Many may enter

Travel is easy

Wide Gate is selfishness and disoedience

The way that leads to destruction

Jesus contrasts the “Way of Life” and the “Way of Death”

2) Two Kinds of Travelers

Travellers through the narrow gate

The Few

The Chosen (Matt 22:14 Many are called few are chosen)

The Remnant

Travellers through the Broad Gate

The Many (tremandous crowds streaming through)

Seem happy and care free (superficial)

Slaves to sin (John 8:34 “Everyone who is living in sin is a slave to sin”)

Sin is like chain that tightens

tightens with each sin, ultimately crushing them

3) Two Destinations

Narrow pathway: Leads to enternal life

Broad roadway: Leads to destruction

Natural to prefer what is wide and broad, easy to access, than what is narrow and constricted

Natural to follow the crowd

Beware!

Progress on the Way

Matthew 7:15–20 ESV

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

False Prophets: Self-appointed Enemies of God who are many and shrewd

Pretend to proclaim God’s Truth, instead proclaiming their own lies

Dressed in sheeps clothes, they are savage and ravenous wolves

Like a tree offering diseased & bad fruit, good for nothing, to be cut down and thrown into the fire

in teachings

in the person’s life or behaviour

CoE offering sinfulness (bad fruit) because the numbers are few to appeal to those on the broadway

True Prophets: Commission by God and convery God’s message to men faithfully, a tree offering good fruit

Calvin “Nothing is more difficult than to counterfeit virtue”

Take care to be followers of “the Way”

End of the Way: Sayers vs Doers

Jesus draws contrast between “talkers” and “doers”

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.’

Many will say all the right things

But if their lives don’t match up then they are hypocrits

Their lives don’t match up to their words

They even argue with the Judge

They claim to honour the Lord, yet degrade His name using merely as a kind of magic formula

Jesus does not deny their claims

Jesus claims to be the Son of God - “my Father”

The one who will come as Judge

“Master, Master” - they pay lip service, not recogising His Authority

Jesus will declare “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness”

End of the Way: Doers vs Hearers

Matthew 7:24–27 ESV

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

Parable of the two builders

Foolish: Hearers but build their lives on their own views, following his hearts desires

Wise: Those who build their lives on the Word of God, putting God’s commands into action

Fair weather: All looks great and the buildings stand

Rains:

The foolish mans house is destroyed

The wise mans house remains standing

The rains symbolise

Trials (Genesis 22:1 & Job)

Temptations (Matt 26:69-75)

Bereavement (Luke 7:11-17)

Death (Acts 7:59-60)

Judgement Day (Matt 24:43; Matt 25:6)

Matthew 7:28–29 ESV

And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

Crowds were astonished:

He spoke the Truth

He presented matters of great significance (life, death and eternity)

There was system in his preaching

He excited curiousity by making generous use of illustrations and concrete examples

He spoke as one showed his love for and is concerned with the everlasting welfare of his listeners, pointing to the Father and His Love

He spoke with authority, for it came from the very heart and mind of the Father

Hymn - HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION (877) - 'K' IN RIPPON'S SELECTION 1787

Closing Prayer

Doxology