"NARROW AND WIDE"

>>>Jesus gives the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, talking about prayer, how to treat people, and false prophets in ch. 7.

>>>Jesus began to talk about gates.

>>>Gates were large wooden doors opened for passage in the day and closed at night for security.

Matthew 7:13 ““Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.”

>>>Jesus says something pretty odd about entering through the gates. He says to answer through the “narrow” gate.

>>>This would be the smaller gate that would be harder to pass through (come back later).

Matthew 7:13 ““Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.”

>>>Jesus then gives a warning about the other gate. It is a wider gate and wider path. This path would be easier to walk and would seem to be the better option.

>>>This path would lead to destruction.

*What seems easy/comfortable leads to death.

>>>Jesus said that not only does this path lead to destruction but many people will enter it.

*Many people will choose to take the path that will lead to destruction.

*Many people will take the easy way out by living w/o Christ and fulfilling their own ways (do what they want).

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Matthew 7:14 “For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

>>>Now Jesus gives the opposite way-the narrow way He wanted His listeners to enter.

>>>He said the gate is not only narrow, but the way is “constricted”.

*“constricted” means “limited” but can also mean “cause distress”.

*The narrow way is one that is hard to pass/challenging.

*Not the path one would initially want to walk.

>>>The narrow and challenging way is the path that ends w/life, but only few find it.

*To walk this path would take perseverance.

*Only a few will walk the hard path that leads to life.

*Only a few people will follow the path of following Jesus in a world that is against them, but those who do will have eternal life.

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>>>Both of these paths are choices that Jesus is laying out even for all of us today.

>>>We can either live for ourselves and end up in destruction or live the challenging life of following Christ and be brought into life.

>>>(Illust.) Pretend (or believe) that there is no Heaven/Hell/God.

>>>Sit if you think alcohol can cause conflict in marriage/parenting-destruction.

>>>Sit if you think people chasing drugs can make a hard family life-destruction.

>>>Sit if you think people engaging in sexual immorality can lead to people growing up w/o father-destruction.

>>>Sit if you think a mom/dad deciding leave can have negative impacts on the child/children-destruction.

>>>Sit if you think following after friends can lead to poor decisions including drugs/alcohol/jail-destruction.

>>>Sit if you think partying can lead to rape or drunk driving accidents-destruction.

>>>Sit if you think rebellion/defiance of authority can lead to continued unemployment/expulsion-destruction.

>>>Sit if you think over working in sports/academics can lead to neglecting others including friends/family-destruction.

>>>Sit if you think insecurity and bullying/seeking acceptance can lead to depression-destruction.

>>>You don’t have to believe God exists to believe the fact that living for your own desires leads to destruction.

Matthew 7:13 ““Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.”

>>>The wide way leads to destruction, but Jesus starts this off urgently calling people to enter the path that will bring life.

*Jesus wants us to find life!

>>>What if you are not following Jesus, because you don’t think Jesus really loves you? You don’t think God has your best interests?

>>>By agreeing that all these things in the world bring destruction even w/o God, you prove God is not the problem.

*Jesus is the way out of destruction. He is the One calling for you to walk the path that will lead to life.

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>>>(Illust.) Eternity rope.

>>>After your life on earth, eternity.

>>>Unbelievers: what is the one thing that is holding you back from trusting in Christ? Are you willing to let that keep you from an eternity w/Jesus?

>>>Believers: what is one way that Jesus has changed your life?