The Road Less Traveled

Opening Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your Word, which is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword. As we open the Scriptures today, we ask that Your Spirit guide us into truth. Help us to see clearly the path You have set before us, and grant us the faith to walk in obedience. May Christ be exalted in our hearts and in our lives. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Introduction: A Choice We Must Make Life is full of choices, but some are more consequential than others. Jesus presents us with the ultimate decision: will we follow Him or go our own way?

In 1916 Robert Frost wrote his most famous poem, “The Road Not Taken,” describing a quandary he found himself in. He was walking through a beautiful forest in the autumn, enjoying himself until he came to a fork in the road; which direction should he go? After a time of wrestling based on uncertainty about the two destinations, he decided in the end to take the road less traveled, and, he said, “that has made all the difference” (“The Road Not Taken,” 75).

Jesus Christ describes even more poignantly a far more significant choice—two paths, one leading to eternal life, the other to eternal destruction:

Let’s begin by reading where we left off last week starting in v.13 ch.7

Matthew 7:13–14 NKJV

13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

I. Two Gates: The Narrow Gate vs. The Broad Gate

Jesus describes two gates leading to two roads with two destinations and two groups of travelers.

Exposition: The contrast here is striking. The broad road is not just wide; it is naturally appealing, requiring no sacrifice, no discipline, and no submission to God's authority. Yet, its end is destruction. The narrow way is countercultural. It calls for surrender, faith, and perseverance, but it leads to eternal life.

Both the narrow gate and the wide gate are assumed to provide the entrance to God’s kingdom. Two ways are offered to people. The narrow gate is by faith, only through Christ. It represents true salvation through the one and only way, which by the way its not just the way it is God’s way that leads to life eternal.

John 14:6 NKJV

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

The wide gate includes all religions of works and self-righteousness, with no single way (cf. Acts 4:12), but leads to hell, not heaven.

Acts 4:12 NKJV

12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

The broad road is easy, well-traveled, and popular, but it leads to destruction. This represents the way of the world—a life centered on self, sin, and rebellion against God. It is attractive because it allows people to live as they please, unchallenged by the demands of righteousness.

v.14 difficult is the way. 

Christ continually emphasized the difficulty of following Him

Matthew 10:38 “38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” ; 

Matthew 16:24 “24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” , 

Matthew 16:25 “25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” ; 

John 15:18 “18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.” , 

John 15:19 “19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

Salvation is by grace alone, but is not easy. It calls for knowledge of the truth, repentance, submission to Christ as Lord, and a willingness to obey His will and Word.

Application: Following Christ is not about comfort or popularity; it is about faithfulness and surrender. Are you on the right path? Have you truly entered through the narrow gate, or are you simply going with the flow of the world?

Matthew 7:15–20 NKJV

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

II. Two Kinds of Prophets: True and False Teachers

Jesus warns about false prophets who look like sheep but are actually wolves.

A person's true nature is revealed by their fruit. Outward appearances can be deceiving, but over time, the reality of a person's heart will be made known by their words, actions, and character.

Good trees bear good fruit; bad trees bear bad fruit. Just as a healthy tree naturally produces good fruit, a true follower of Christ will display genuine righteousness.

Exposition: False prophets are not always obvious. They appear as part of the flock, speaking in religious language and using Scripture. However, they distort the truth, leading people away from Christ rather than to Him. This is why discernment is essential.

Cross-Reference: Galatians 5:22–23

Galatians 5:22–23 NKJV

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Imagine a gardener tending to a tree. Every day, he waters it, prunes the branches, and ensures it has enough sunlight. Over time, the evidence of his labor becomes clear when the tree bears fruit. In Galatians 5:22-23, the Apostle Paul reminds us that the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—should be the evidence of our faith. Just like the gardener's diligent work yields fruit, our relationship with God produces evidence that we are rooted in Him.

Application: Are you discerning in whom we follow? Are you testing teachings against the Word of God? More personally, are you producing godly fruit in our own lives, or is there evidence that something is spiritually unhealthy?

Matthew 7:21–23 NKJV

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

III. Two Kinds of Disciples: Professing vs. Obedient

Exposition: These verses are one of the most sobering warnings in Scripture. Many people assume they are saved because they are religious, serve in ministry, or use Christian language. However, salvation is not about outward works alone; it is about truly knowing Christ and being known by Him.

“Not everyone who calls Jesus "Lord" will enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Not everyone who merely professes faith in Christ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who demonstrate genuine obedience to His will (Matthew 7:21).

A faith that consists only of words without action is ultimately barren and reveals its true nature—it is not genuine faith at all (Matthew 7:20 “20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” )

Jesus is not teaching that works earn salvation; rather, He is emphasizing that true faith will inevitably produce the fruit of righteousness. This aligns with the teaching in James 1:22–25, where believers are urged to be doers of the Word and not merely hearers, and James 2:26, which declares that "faith apart from works is dead." True faith is always accompanied by obedience, as it reflects a transformed heart.

In Matthew 7:22, those who claim, "Have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons, and done many wonders in Your name?" highlight the remarkable signs and wonders they believe validate their faith. However, their confidence is misplaced, as these individuals rely on their works rather than a genuine relationship with Christ. Their actions, no matter how spectacular they may seem, serve as further evidence that they lack authentic faith. Jesus teaches us that true good works can only flow from a heart transformed by Him—hence, "a bad tree cannot bear good fruit" (Matthew 7:18).

Genuine faith produces genuine fruit, and without this foundation, even extraordinary acts cannot signify true discipleship.

The phrase “I never knew you” does not mean Jesus lacked information about these people.

Rather, it means there was never a genuine, saving relationship. Their faith was superficial—built on works rather than on Christ’s finished work.

Application: Is your faith just words, or is it lived out in obedience? Do you truly know Jesus, and does He know us? Have you trusted in Christ alone for salvation, or are you relying on religious activity?

Conclusion:

Jesus does not give us a neutral option. We are either on the narrow or broad path. We either bear good fruit or bad. We either truly know Christ or merely profess His name.

The choice is urgent and life-defining. This passage calls us to examine ourselves. Are we truly in Christ? Are we walking in obedience, bearing fruit that testifies to a transformed heart?

Invitation:

Will you enter through the narrow gate?

Will you follow the Good Shepherd and bear fruit that lasts?

Will Jesus recognize you as His own?

Closing Prayer: Heavenly Father, we acknowledge that apart from You, we are lost. Help us to walk the narrow road, to bear the fruit of righteousness, and to live as true disciples of Christ. Search our hearts and lead us in the way everlasting. In Jesus’ name, Amen.