The Narrow Door
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
Sermons are interesting things. They aren’t really supposed to be profound new ideas. We’re coming to a passage, that is well over a thousand years old and has been explained by many who have come before us, and we are just explaining what it says. For some of you, you may have heard the same passage preached several times by different people. The point isn’t to teach you something new every time, but to remind us of who God is, and what He has done, and what He calls us to. That reminder is a necessary thing.
Parables are short stories that have a single point. (Not allegories)
Different literature has different purposes, epistles lay out theology, poetry of the psalms evoke emotion, parables make us look at ourselves and ask the question, “Am I really doing what Christ wants me to?”
Or “Have I really changed?”
Luke 13:22-30
Luke 13:22-30
This is God’s Word Thanks Be To God
This is God’s Word Thanks Be To God
Context
Context
On the way to Jerusalem. This journey started back in Chapter 9, we have already passed Samaria, so, you can imagine most of the people around are Jewish.
In this conversation he is talking to the people of the promise. The attitude of many of the Jewish people was because we are Jewish, we have this promise of God and everyone else is outside.
Source of the Jew vs. Gentile conflict in the early church.
31-35 Lament over Jerusalem rejecting , shows this passage is a rebuke of this attitude. Lament is that Jerusalem rejects its prophets/God
A Question
A Question
will only a few be saved?
Many reasons he could have asked this question
fear (will I be saved)
Often a question believers today might ask. We look at our lives and see the sin that just doesn’t go away and all the times we fall short and ask ourselves, am I saved?
we can look at the pastors/musicians who fall and ask if not them who?
Pride (Israel - we are, no one else is)
Most Rabbis and Pharisees believed and taught that all the nation of Israel would be saved. Jesus taught that salvation was spiritual
So, in this case, there is still the idea that only Israel would be saved, but since its spiritual, there must not be many in the kingdom.
Keep in mind too that many thought of the kingdom in a very earthly way. It would be a political kingdom in Jerusalem in their time. The idea that foreigners would be a part of this was kind of insulting.
I think the question is coming from a mix of these two emotions, both fear and pride.
Jesus didn’t exactly answer the question (does this alot)
Doesn’t say Yes, the kingdom will be just a few, but rather the door is narrow
Direct answer would be no
18-19 describes a Kingdom that will grow
starts as a mustard seed (the twelve) and then grows into a tree
So over time, it is very large. (All believers over history of world)
Addresses this in 29-30 - they will come from the whole world to sit at the table.
Instead of answering the question directly, he turns it around to make it about us, and what we do. In doing so, he gives an imperative and 2 warnings.
A Warning
A Warning
His answer addresses the root of the question, the fear and the pride.
Read 24
“Strive to enter the narrow door”
takes the focus off the “how many” question and puts it directly on the person asking and those around him.
Plural (You)
imperative - “Strive” something for us to do.
Read 25-27 - The Warning to not wait and not assume that you are saved.
(25) The Master shuts the door - Don’t wait till it’s too late
heresy that is not unique to our time, but has reared it’s head more frequently in the last 20 years is the idea of universalism.
Rob Bell “Love Wins” - people see the love of Christ when they die they will choose Christ so no one will go to hell.
problem with that argument is right here - the Master (God) will shut the door and some will be on the outside.
Don’t want to do “I’m going to live for myself now, and later I’ll live for God.” - Student who said this
You don’t know when your time is up
Your heart will harden (Rom 1)
“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”
If you think you are gaining something great by not following God, you are not. There is joy and sweetness in the relationship with the King and seeing His handiwork all around you that can’t be gained in the world.
Richard Sibbs - Whole premise was to draw people to Christ by showing the sweetness of knowing Him.
The point is don’t wait. Don’t think I’ll do it later.
(26-27) The Warning not to assume you are saved
Look at 26 - “We ate and drank with you, you taught in our streets” - making the argument that they knew God, fellowshipped with Him
Many came to see Jesus, even Pharisees/Scribes who were adamantly against Him. But even those who weren’t against Him, many came just for what He could do for them.
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.
Not just addressing these particular folks, but Israel as a whole.
This addresses the issue of pride in the nation of Israel, that we are part of the chosen people, so as long as we follow xyz rules we’re good.
Pharisees and Scribes were so concerned with keeping the law, they built a law around the law. It became about keeping the letter of the rules, and lost sight of the heart of the law.
10-17 and 14:1-5. Jesus heals two people and the Pharisees get mad that he is doing this on the Sabbath. Lost the heart of the Law.
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
One thing that has really stood out to me is just how much he cares for people, and the Pharisees completely missed that to check their boxes.
We can absolutely do this too.
being at church, reading scripture, doing the “Christian” checklist is not enough. - have to strive to enter through the Narrow Door.
Being descended from Israel is not enough either. (28-30)
Some of Israel will be left out, and the gentiles will be brought in.
It's not enough to be from a Christian family - have to strive to enter through the Narrow Door
Can’t lean on my dad’s a pastor, or my family has been Christian for generations.
Teens - make your faith your own.
Spent my adult life teaching teens/kids. One of the most important things you can do is make it your own.
Ask the questions, wrestle with the hard things. The answers are there, and those of us who have walked down this path before you can help you find them.
Believe me when I tell you, you are not the first, nor will you be the last to wrestle with these questions.
The warnings - Don’t wait, don’t assume: The imperative: Strive to enter through the narrow door.
A Narrow Door
A Narrow Door
How do we enter through this narrow door, what is it?
He says to strive to enter it, so must we do everything we can to keep the law? To follow God’s commands to the letter?
This is what the Pharisees did, remember they made laws to make sure they didn’t break the law.
Jesus turned that on it’s head though in the sermon on the mount. If you look at someone other than your spouse in lust it is adultery, if you hate your brother it is the same as murder. Emphasizing the heart of the law.
The problem for them and for us is, the standard is perfection. Matthew 5:48
You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.
Who among us could say that we are perfect? That we have followed every command of God, not just to the letter, but the heart of it too.
So Christ has to be the narrow door to the kingdom
We can’t gain access by inheritance
We can’t gain access by our own merits (Romans 3)
That door is through the Christ: John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,
Christ is the narrow door through which we must enter, so the question becomes how do we “Strive” to enter this door?
Two sides to this, on one hand we don’t, on the other we do, so lets start with We don’t
We Don’t: Sola Fide, Sola Gratia - BY faith alone, through grace alone.
If we look back at Eph 1:7, what does the redemption come through? His blood.
Christ lived the perfect life that we couldn’t, he bore the cross, the punishment that we deserved. On the cross he said “It is finished”
The work is complete, we must put our faith in Him.
Where does the inheritance come from in Eph 1:11, “In Him” - through Christ
your salvation is in Christ alone through faith alone and is free to anyone who will come to him.
There is no earning it, we couldn’t do it anyway
In this way, we don’t strive, Christ has already strived for us. But, there is a way we do need to strive to enter the narrow door.
The striving is constantly examining yourself, keeping your eyes fixed upon Jesus, walking towards that door.
We need to continually put Christ in front of us. To remind ourselves of the grace that God has given us.
One of you were thinking “I know this, I hope..so and so.. hears this” when I was talking about Christ’s work
We all need that reminder all the time.
Yesterday, rough day. I desperately needed to be reminded of this grace.
Amazing Grace, In Sorrows Deep I Call, Christ is Mine Forevermore
Then come to pray and write out this section on the Narrow Door - I NEED THIS!
Examine ourselves - remember the warning to not assume you are saved because of xyz. We need to examine what it is we are trusting in.
X Ray questions that we use for life on life groups (Starting up this week)
Sometimes when we examine ourselves we see our guilt and ask “Am I really saved”
I don’t desire the things I’m supposed to...etc, or I keep falling into this sin.
There is hope, If you are concerned about that, then God has already pricked your heart and given you a desire to be saved.
Whether you have never believed, or you have been in church your whole life and find you aren’t walking with God, the solution is the same.
Repent and believe
Start right now, right here and put your trust in the work of Christ.
Other times we find we are walking with Christ and things are good. Don’t be complacent.
Keep reminding yourselves of God’s grace and the work of Christ.
Bible Reading - doesn’t matter if it is a Bible in a year or one verse a day and meditating on that verse. Just put it in front of you.
Allen - Reading your bible daily is like cleaning your pipes. It’s there to wash out all the gunk and put our minds on the important things.
Prayer and Fellowship - You aren’t alone. Prayer, talk to God. Fellowship with believers, you can be the encourager or the encouraged.
Sermons fill this purpose too. To remind of us,
Remember all these things aren’t a checklist, they serve a purpose. They are to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.
O Soul, are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see? There’s light for a look at the Savior, and life more abundant and free.
So Turn you eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.
One thing we do each week as a reminder of Christ’s work is to come together and partake in the Lord’s Supper Together
Christ gave instructions for us to do this in remembrance of Him until he returns
1 Corinthians 11:24–26 “and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
We remember both the work He has done on the cross and the work that will be done when He returns to make the world new.
Here we practice open communion - If you are a believer we invite you to come
if not, we want you to experience the real thing, not this symbol, so we ask you to abstain.
Take a moment to quiet are hearts, examine ourselves, repent of our sin and turn our eyes upon Jesus.
