(Matt. 7:12-14) The Golden... Gate

hey man, I wonder if there were one phrase that might summarize your whole life. What is that? Wrote one sentence that would summarize everything that you cared about everything that you meant to say on your best day and that was the last thing that was ever said about you. And that was on your last day.

What if it was put on a tombstone or in the epilogue of the book of your life? What if it appeared like a banner over? The history of everyday that you lived. What would it say? How would you summarize a whole story? how would you take every narrative and then every dialogue you ever had and every monologue you ever, Delivered. And just boil it down into one statement. Can you imagine how difficult that would be? I would dare to say it would not be humanly possible, whatever. Not even for one life. What if your story was the story of scripture?

And the story of that.

That one life.

That was laid down in your behalf.

The life of Jesus.

And what if you? Who is delivered to you? A statement that said it all. In one sentence.

That's what we have. Before I sent our Bibles today.

You can tell the more I reflected on the weight of this portion of God's word. The more it threatens to take away my ability to speak.

It's in Matthew 7, verse 12 and I would suggest you verses 13 and 14. Are tied together to it. Although many good Bible scholars would disagree. When this portion of Jesus Sermon on the Mount, they would in fact divided up differently, we're going to look at verses 12 and 13 and 14 today that wear red for you earlier. And we're going to look at this golden. Gates were still in our summer on the mount even though is this week. The last like it turns in the fall, doesn't it this week? So we'll go into the fall but honestly it's appropriate, you know, most Bible scholars would tell you the sermons done. Now, it's the conclusion. Now it's the kind of thing, maybe we would say, at the end of a sermon, or maybe we would say it when we speak here in front of the pulpit afterwards.

Again, just feeling the weight of that. It's almost as if Jesus is pulling you. And I aside this morning I'm beginning to have a conversation not with us as a body, but individually.

Give me asking us to the question.

What will you do with what I said to you?

Well, that's where we're at in The Sermon, on the Mount.

We're in a section that brother Jeff appropriate appropriately. He said it wasn't on the screen but he said this is the Golden Rule. You've heard that this is what we call a wonderful name. There's disagreement actually about when that name was applied. Some say it was the anglicans. I suspect. It's the anglicans that say it was the anglicans. The thought of the name in relatively late in church history. Only a couple hundred years ago. Other say, it was very early in church history and who knows? Who knows? Who cares? What we do know, for sure, Believe It or Not, There is a silver rule. And I may not have been called that but there appears in the literature of the ancient world even as far back as 2000 years. Before Jesus Christ statements that almost Look like the Golden Rule. Here are three, just three there are. There's probably 50 of these in Egypt, in 2002 thousand BC. Due to the door. To make him do. That was what the Egyptians said number to China. In China in the year 500 BC or they're about what you do, not wish for yourself, do not do to others. Is that interesting stated in the negative? Maybe that first one was almost manipulative. The second one was stated in the negative. In fact that's what Scholars discover. Every one of these silver rule as a negative connotation to it even the Jewish rabbis Hillel about the time of Jesus Christ and his famous pension with Shamir. These two great considered great teachers of their day after she might have been challenged and I don't understand the story. Totally, apparently someone at it was either him or the Pagan who is approaching him said. I'm going to stand on one leg and you need to explain to me the law of God. In total that was this is how the story goes. A pagan challenged him to teach the whole wall while standing on one foot apparently, shamaya beating with a rod and send him a waste, the Hillel come along and wanted to show him but it says I can do that. Here it is. A summary of the whole law of God. What is hateful to you? Do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole Torah. The rest is commentary, going to learn it. But listen to his words and negative statement, basically of Tolerance, isn't it? You hear this today? You don't have to be a God-fearing to preach the message of Tolerance, what you don't want someone to do to, you don't do to them and negative negative negative these versions. Range from manipulation to self-preservation but none speak about actual love. None, that is other than our lord Jesus, and he's summarizing something we're quite familiar with. If we reflect a moment, Deuteronomy 6, love the Lord your God. It's the essential nature. How with all that you are. Capital a capital l capital, L all that you are love the Lord. Your God. What's the second greatest commandment? Love your neighbor as yourself. Love your neighbor as if it is you that your loving Leviticus 6:19, Matthew. 22 Jesus says on these two Commandments depend the law and Prophets.

It's love.

That wishy-washy love self-sacrificial. Love

Not Mere tolerance or Worse manipulation. That is what Jesus is talking about. In our versus today. Golden Rule, I'm going to call the Golden Gate cuz we're going from the rule to the gate right? Jeff the two gates.

Matthew 7, 12 through 14. I want to give you this morning a challenge. I want to preach this passage of scripture to you today because I believe from the bottom of my heart. That you have farther to go and following Jesus. Whether it's the first step of obedience of repentance and Faith turning from self, and send to the Savior and his provision for your life, which we'll talk about it, whether it's the five millionth step, you've taken an obedience, you have farther to go on this way. The Jesus leads us going to give you three points of navigation this morning so you can find your way. Okay. And the right from these verses three points of navigation, here's the idea of the other morning, the men and many of us invited friends and family to an event was a men's breakfast is gospel-centered event. The man was challenging us to live Godly lives. If we haven't put our faith in the Lord Jesus, to do that, that day, there was apparently the greatest response they've ever seen that. They've done this in 15 years. Is it God's doing something in the Cedar Valley? He's doing something. I know a a car. Do it, you check. This is what I did doesn't save you, but that's exactly the way I was born again. I, I I pray to a quiet prayer and God came into my life and took over. What's happening in people's lives? But also, this is happening. Men and women are recommitting their lives to follow Jesus. And those responses were great as well in that morning. So that's our goal. This morning that you would respond to what Jesus has to say. And so, is he ready to say something to you individually this morning, not from the pulpit, the pull you aside and say something very pointed and individual, let's pray for his help us pray. Got three points this morning. I have to chuckle as you were there with me. Trying to learn the rudiments of preaching, and my professor saying, Shane never use the word points to outline your sermon, but this morning points of navigation, we need to triangulate ourselves Lord to your will and it's so easy to wander with saying about it. It's so easy to go in the ditch on the left hand or the ditch on the ride, or to go backwards or just stay still, but there is no way off of this way. Once we've entered in, help us move forward this morning together we pray in Jesus name, amen. 3 points in navigation. First of all, this read this verse again. It says in Matthew 7 verse 12 so I'm going to talk about the word so in a minute so whatever you wish that word wish just don't take that word wish the wrong way. This isn't you know like you blow out your birthday candles and you make a wish okay this is the thing that drives your life. This is your passion, this is everything that you want, this is what you would do if you could do, okay. Whatever you wish. That others would do to you. Do also to them, did you catch this for? This is the law and the prophets and maybe you've not heard or caught on to that phrase before. Let's look back at chapter 5, The law and the prophets chapter 5. And I think it's verse 17,

Is Jesus to remember. He says I'm not come to I've not come to abolish the law, or the prophets or 17. Do not think that I have come to abolish the law, or the prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. And then he goes on to teach immediately about how your righteousness must surpass that of or exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees out where it has to be in world. Can't clean the outside of the vessel and call it good. Something has to happen on the inside and then he talks about the heart of the law in murder and lost a divorce and oath, taking and retaliation, and loving your enemies. And not being a hypocrite in prayer and fasting and giving, and laying up reward for yourself somewhere. Where will never fade. And he says, don't think I've come to abolish but to fulfill the law and the prophets. He's talkin about every word of scripture that was ever written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit until the moment. He was speaking, he's talking about the Old Testament, summed up in a sentence,

Whatever you wish that others would do to, you do also to them what you wished for that others would do to you. Shout out some things. What do you wish for? What would you have others do to you? Let me hear it. Trust me. I'm not so hard to convince someone of my intentions. What else? Forgive me, I need forgiveness before I even get to Maya morning coffee. Forgive me, what else? Kindness the basic currency of the Christian Life. Those are the denominations kindness love. Now we're moving on to something that covers it all and here it is. The law of love.

Jesus says, Everything You Wish others would do to you, you do to them, and it is a summary of the whole story of himself, which is what the scripture is, the story of presenting, Jesus Christ to a fallen world.

The number one. First point of navigation. Brothers and sisters child of God. This you know sometimes we clap for Cindy, I feel like clapping for the statement. The whole Bible can be summed up in one point of principle. Amen. What light is what Grace? The whole Bible. The only thing that is true on a level. A perfect truth. That can be known can be summed up in one point of principle, may, I ask you three questions here quickly, why does it say? So at the beginning of verse 12, Why is this? So here, they give you some insight into the language. It's being used. You can't see it in the English, you know, is written in Greek. Originally, you know, there are three words the word so or Therefore your Mike's yours might say they're for

Three words in the Greek that surround that meaningful word. the first word you going to catch on to a pattern here, three times over the first word means something like this each and every, and any and all the whole everything and some of all types The second word surrounding this word so number to as great as far as however much are many or any. That's the second word. Number three, the third word. In fact, it has no English equivalent. It's called a particle in Greek and it just it stands and Greek. As an emphasis is almost like an! And it says it denotes a position possibility and means whatever wherever, whithersoever,

The old Philly explosion would say. You see what's happening here. I've already said it in the introduction. This is a summary of the whole Bible and the whole sermon and she's just saying something to you. Now, at the end in collusion, someone asked me recently, it was one of you. Pastor, could you give me a summary of your sermon before you preach it? That way, I can follow along really well, I said, I'm sorry, I can't cuz I don't sometimes I don't know what I'm going to say when till I say it. Jesus has given a summary of His sermon here, at the end towards the end of a sermon, and it's a summary of the whole Bible.

We've come upon a massive summary of what he said so far. And it's poised before admonitions of stark contrast. Two gates two ways, two kinds of people to responses, two, kinds of fruit, two, kinds of trees, two kinds of destination, two kinds of houses, two kinds of foundation, two kinds of people, which are you. Jesus is saying,

And there's only two.

Maybe I can summarize every sermon I would ever preach whatever you would want us to do to you. You do to them. That's the summary. Each and every and any and all and the whole and what Jesus is said so far, every word of it from his blessings in chapter 5. The talk about your identity as a child of God, poor in spirit hungry for righteousness, to the B Weyers of chapter 6, those false identities, The Mask, like hypocrisies of a out really. Weirdly religious life. All summed up in the law and the prophets. Every word of scripture, Jesus doesn't double down. He triples down with three words that are surrounded there for therefore, have we lost?

If we lost. The message of counting the cost as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Do we think there's a room that we can keep things for ourselves? Do we think there's our relationships that doesn't apply to this call to obedience, whatever I wish they would do to me.

Trust, forgive love what about? Tell me the truth. Patiently.

Secular voices. Can sometimes State the problem in the pain. Nearly as good as the enlightened Christian. It was a day in my life where it was pretty dark. I was young and I was worried about my identity before the world. What people thought of me? I mean you could sing songs about my life and how I was all worked up on what people thought of me.

And there was a band that I enjoyed listening to because it was, it was some dark kind of depressing stuff. And apparently, that's the appetite you have. If you're wandering prone to wander,

The band. Tend these words, the last track of a album called The Dark Side of the Moon.

All that you touch. All that you see all that you taste, all you feel and all that you love and all that you hate all your distrust, all you save, and all that you give all that you deal. And all that you beg borrow or steal and all that you create and all you destroy and all that you do and all that you say and all that you eat and everyone you meet in all that is. All that you slide and everyone you fight. And all that is now. And all that is gone and all that's to come and everything under the sun.

The lyrics to says. Is in tune.

from all appearances, a Godless group of musicians, writing a song and yet realizing there is a fine tuning of all that there is

You know, God's fingerprints are in the very creation that is all around us.

Kris and cries. There's a Creator. Your there's a golden ratio is a mathematically in every structure. In the world. everything under the sun is in tune, and then the author of those lyrics says the Sun. Is it clips? By the moon.

Picture of the Fallen lightless lifeless cell, apart from God. Eclipsing, even the light of Revelation. Fast only able to stay in the negative what Jesus says in the positive.

Then the track ends with a barely audible spoken word in a British accent. Saying this. you know, there is no, Dark Side of the Moon, really matter of fact, it's all dark.

All at once in this purse, the whole sermon Falls like light. In truth. But also with a moment's reflection on that light, a weight of responsibility brother or sister, it's the cost of discipleship.

Recently spoke with a young man who is 10 times as talented as me talking about getting volunteers to help at church. What a topic we talked about that this morning, we have a good volunteerism here. He says, but be careful, you don't set the bar too low, tell the people what they're getting into. In many cases this is going to be the hardest thing you've ever done but oh, you will love it more than anything that you could possibly do. It's the cost of discipleship. Why is this word so their Cuz that's what Jesus is talking to you about individually today. Why do verses 13 and 14? Come next? It talks about in verses 13 and 14. The Gates. There's one that's an arrow in the ways, and their want is one that's hard. The other is wide and easy, Jesus says to Gates. He's talking about. Things friends that are easy to understand. But so often very hard to do.

Is the easiest of all rules. Is it not? Do to other people what you want them to do to you.

Take what you want. Ozzy Gian. Understand hard to do, take what you want. And give it all away. To everyone. All the time is. Jesus message. No exceptions to the rule. Our son started a job a couple weeks ago, by some Providence of God. We don't believe in special Revelation today not like we're right the new birth but it was pretty incredible that he said this because I just wrote it in my notes. He says to me your dad, here's the thing. The problem is hard. But it's not complex is new job. He has to prepare orders. I'll try to get this wrong. But to perform at 100% when he eventually gets totally train up nearly three items of inventory, at the warehouse per minute, identified located loaded labeled scanned staff stationed ready to ship. At Martin Brothers. Says, the problem is hard. But it's not complex.

It's not hard to understand, he knows exactly what's required and then he must do it. And you know what? He knows he will do it. It's as if there's a constraining force on his life, even the roads are narrow. Sometimes you have to ask permission to get through with your loading equipment. It's not wide, it's not easy, but it's not complex child of God. How different is this than the silver rule? Love the Lord is not a manipulation. But as surrender to his Sovereign rule to love your neighbor, whether it's your brother or your enemy read, Leviticus 19, both are called your neighbor your enemy and your brother and everything. In between two love, your neighbor is surrender. Just Surrender Your wants. To let all your longing and all your wishing and would be isms. Rule your love for your neighbor.

Brothers.

Just one cross reference 2nd Corinthians 5.

2nd Corinthians 5, if you'd like to see it a read a couple verses,

I pray starting verse 13. 2nd Corinthians 5. In verse 13. What are we talkin about here?

if we were to elaborate, This whole Bible being summed up in one principal.

To sound crazy to you at this life. This kind of discipleship this following of Jesus 2nd Corinthians 5 verse 13. Well, if we're beside ourselves false, yours might say if we're out of our mind. Is for God. Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. He says if we're on our right mind, it's for you. Love your neighbor as yourself. Such a simple principle and it's the whole Bible and what you saying versus 14 because it's the love of Christ. The controls us, it constrains us a love that we don't deserve. I love. It keeps us on the way that he shows us.

How many Christians spend their lives on a quote-unquote journey of self-discovery?

Exploring what the will of God might be in their lives. Like it's some secret mission to discover. Some Cosmic mystery to explore. Like, you're going to the Moon to see the dark side of it. Jesus, preached his Mysteries to you and to me that not a fraction of the world will receive today. But he doesn't keep it a mystery, he discloses it fully and tells you, this is the whole message. Will you receive it? Have you convinced yourself that? It's just too hard to understand when in truth? It's just too hard to stand under its Authority.

1.1. Navigational point is the point of the whole Bible. What a privilege to get to stand here. And enjoy this. With you to understand the whole Bible. Let's move on in our versus, this is back in Matthew 7, and it's verse 13. Just that little line. What would Jesus tell you to do today if you haven't done? So Enter. By the narrow gate, he's going to talk about this way, that he's proposing. This life me says enter by the narrow gate. Here's the issue. The whole Bible can be summed up in one point of principle number to your whole life follows from just one of two points of interest. There's only two and she's just talking to is talking about the only one that will lead to life. You're so often people speak of what we see in verses 13 and 14, the gate and the way, and they put it backwards. And they say, well, we're on the way to reaching the gate, maybe it's the Pearly Gates of Heaven and Keaton. Peter is there with the key and he'll let me in. Oh, you see that would be Works righteousness. That would be finding your way to the Gate of Heaven. That's not what Jesus is talking about. Jesus says, in fact, elsewhere in John 10. Who is the gate? The gate is a person. He says, I am the door.

See, the gate comes before the way. And your whole life follows from just one of two points of Entry.

Jesus says, I am the door of the Sheep. Jesus. In Jesus only is the point of entry. It's it's a narrow way Jesus. Enter by the narrow gate.

That word for narrow in the Greek. If we would read it, even you'd hear it stennis, it's like stenography. You don't stenography is its condensing riding. It's shorthand. This is just narrow it down. Take up less space on the page.

I'm familiar with another version of this word. My I have spinal stenosis

The canals in my spine. Don't make room for the nerves. And so I've had surgery, so I can't even fill feel my hands. Some of you have this stenosis, it's a narrowing.

Jesus says, this is a narrow gate friend. You cannot enter any other way into life eternal, then this narrow gate. And there's no other way through this gate, then to go through it. Totally alone. In fact, if you'll permit me totally naked, And exposed. Doing what most people do, won't do. You can't go with the crowd to go through this gate? Trusting in some religious group even the best group and putting your identity like it's the get in free card because you're part of that group. You're just lost in the crowd, if that's your approach to this gate. You cannot take with you through this gate, any belongings. No, baggage of sin can be treasured when you go through the skate. This is the cost of discipleship. You have to determine that you hate. What? God hates. Oh. But you can't bring anything either with you through that gate, as if to pay your entrance fee, the god even loves. Its filthy rags. The Apostle Paul would say all your righteousness. There's nothing you can bring because Jesus is the gate. Praise the Lord. Jesus is the gate.

The saying goes like this many paths, lead the truth if truth were a mountain and the Pinnacle was the most true truth you've ever heard, will look at the mountain, you could go up that mountain five hundred different ways.

That's not this gate. because the gate appears where before the way.

Step One is the gate. Then comes the way.

Romans 10, says it this way, Romans 10,

first five.

I think it is.

Moses writes about the righteousness. Is based on the law, what were we speaking of the law and the prophets total summary that all everything that was ever commanded boiled down to one sentence Moses writes about the righteousness is based on the laws of the person who does the Commandments shall live by them. Well, that's if you could do them. Perfectly. The first success, but the righteousness based on faith. You see faces, the means the invisible unworked work that God works in you. Naked and penniless.

An unfit for entry, as you are faces. The gift that allows you through this gate and their righteousness. Based on faith, says do not say in your heart who will Ascend into heaven assistant many ways to the top of the mountain. That is to bring Christ down verse 7 or who will descend into the best a bisque or maybe you could suffer enough. And then God would accept, you know, that would be to bring Christ up from the dead as if he didn't need to die. What does it say? The word is near you in your mouth and in your heart, that is the word of faith that we Proclaim enter by the narrow gate. Friend.

Repentance and faith and the new birth. Come before the road of discipleship. So count the cost prior, I guess this is the lesson I learned from that young man, don't tell someone following Jesus is something you can set the bar very low, say it will be the hardest thing you've ever done. But the only thing you'll never regret that you've ever done count the cost. It's not a worst-case scenario to imagine the difficulty of even maybe being experiencing a martyr's death for Jesus is not the worst case scenario, a death for Jesus, everyone, that follows Jesus must die. That's the gate.

The gate for a reason. It's barred to entry. To keep the wrong sort out and we are all the wrong sort. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, you're all standing condemned apart from Jesus.

Jesus laid down his life. That's the picture that he gives in John chapter 10.

John chapter 10 says it this way. He lays down his life to be that door. John 10. The first one.

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the Sheepfold by the door but climbs and buy another way that man is a thief and a robber but he who enters by the door, is The Shepherd of the sheet to him. The gatekeeper opens, the sheep hear his voice and he calls his own Sheep by name and leads them out. And he has brought out all his own, he goes before them in the Sheep. Follow him and they know his voice a stranger, they will not follow, but they will flee from him. But they do not know the voice of strangers. This figure of speech Jesus used with them. They did not understand what he was saying. So he says this, so Jesus said to them, truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the Sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers but the Sheep did not. Listen, I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and go in and out on that way. It says Fine pasture this Good Shepherd.

His death is a penalty payment for all the wrong that you've ever done for every time. All every, every way whithersoever didn't apply to you because you weren't doing to others, what you would have them do to you.

Is paid the penalty payment for that wrong. But also it's a pattern for your freedom.

Being united with Christ who is the door to go onto the way of eternal life in him. And through him is to not only receive the penalty. But receive the death that he died. To condemn sin in his body. And then to be raised again to New Life in him and to walk in that new life, you leave it all behind. Paul says, I thought, all, I thought was gain. I count as lost for this reason, knowing Christ and him crucified. He says, Jesus says, this is why you take up your cross daily, which is the identification of your life, your death in your life with Jesus Christ giving so graciously to you the hymn writer says it this way. Nothing in my hand. I bring have you come to this gay? Nothing in my hand. I bring Simply to the cross. I cling naked, come to the fore dress, dress me in your righteousness. God that you've worked in Jesus Christ to loved this way, doing the others, what you would have them do to him helpless, look to the for Grace, your whole life follows from one of two points of entrance. Here's what those entrances are. Let's read about them. First 13, back in our passage Matthew 7 for the gate is wide and the way is easy. That leads to destruction. Those who enter it or buy it are many. The gate is narrow on the way is hard. That leads to life and those who find it. Are few. Whole Bible boils down to one point in principle navigation. Point one navigation, point to your whole life. Olives from one entrance Point. Number 3, the whole world ends up at one of two points. A destination Put simply as heaven or hell, it's destruction or its life.

This easy Road in this hard Road. The finding of it being easier. Hard to find. It's not because it's hidden. Not hidden from you today.

Is the man I used to work with just a moment. I'll share this. A man. I used to work with and he was a Searcher. He probably read more ancient scripture than I have, just an average. Aviation jobs in the army. Pilot you came to me one day. He says, I've searched every book I could find. I just can't decide which one of my true, which of them to believe. I know you're a Christian Shane. If I don't believe the right things that mean I'm going to hell. I've worked so hard at knowing the truth.

This gay in this way, is not hidden. It's not meant to be, I'll do an exhaustive search of everything ever proposed and pick the one I like the best to believe. This one has been revealed to you through the preaching of God's word.

Not because it's hidden.

It's because the way is easy that is Broad. searching and exploring, and looking for meaning, and in every direction

because, Of that, we need sufficient motivation because the way is narrow. It's it's revealed and it's obvious Made obvious to you today. We need sufficient motivation to go down that way because Jesus says, it's a hard way.

But understand this friend, the hardness the difficulty of that way. It's not because of the one who leads you there.

Jesus says, My yoke. Is easy. My burden is light. The way is hard because of the constricting nature of persecution. It would threaten the one who goes on that way. What's your motivation here? It is both the gate and the way that is narrow and hard lead to life and they do. So not only at the destination point. But on the first step of the way life more abundant and free God leads but this gay the confidence to you today leads to a new birth. In fact, it is the new birth. It's going from Death to life the way is life. The old proverb says the path of righteousness. It's like it's like the dawn it gets brighter and brighter until noon day in the sun, rises on that first step that way leads to daily time with a risen savior. Bending your ear. Coming along beside you. Today, that way also leads to that end of days. I haven't prepared for you, where there is total rest. Stop searching.

Start savoring this way.

Jesus says, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father but by me and you get to walk every step of that way with him. If you'll come to him as the door, he says my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

It's not Christ, commands that are a burden.

But taking up his cross of identification in such a world that we live in that hates the cross and hates a course of sacrificial. Love of the kind that Jesus talks about.

I hate the exposure that that light brings on their life. That's the hardness. He talks about three points of navigation, for you today. I hope we triangulated our way forward. I hope you and the spirit of God have reckoned to yourself, some step of obedience. Number one, the whole Bible can be made boiled down to one point number to the gate comes before the way you see. There's only one or two points of Entry. Jesus is the way to life. Number 3, Seether heaven or a hell at the end. In Jesus. There is no other name given among men under Heaven by which we must be saved other than the name of Jesus. It's either Heaven or Hell at the end. One of two, ultimate points of destination. Won't you cross a Golden Gate Bridge today or if you've crossed their fridge burn the bridge behind you? I mean, at least idealistically, there's nothing back there for you. There's nothing back there for you. I don't know if you can see this. I drew it. Like, on a napkin kind of thing. This is what he's talking about. Jesus is describing the message of the Bible. This is, I think, from Navigators, isn't it? This is their image Navigators to two individuals separated by an uncrustable Chasm, if you and it's God, the Bible says, you've been separated from God because you've not done. Others. What you would have them, do to you count. The ways that separation is called sin, that's what's separating you. God's plan for your life is life and purpose and peace. On the way that he's designed. Your problem.

I can't read it here.

Searching separated. By nature and by choice, you know, that means you were born a sinner. You're not a sinner because you're sin, you sent because you're a sinner and then you chose to just sit and again and again it separates you from God. Calls. It deaf

You cannot bridge this Gap. There's no way in this gate by works, because the gate comes before the way.

You can't. Is that say remorse?

You can't be sorry enough for your sin. You could cry an ocean of tears and ask God to forgive you and he would not because your tears are sinful.

The blood of Jesus cleanses, you not your tears, you cannot trust in Idols whether it's the idol of good works or enough money or not charitable work, or maybe it's just, I'm going to get life and peace and purpose on my own. I'll just find it myself.

But God has a solution stud or the Golden Gate Bridge. Its God's provision and it is Jesus Christ. The simple as that he does not hide this from you today, come to Jesus and be saved. It says, in John 5:24 truly, truly. I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment but has passed from Death to life but spray

God, we thank you for the clarity of your Bible. I know from my own experience, it's easy to miss the forest for the trees and we can get stuck on some question and Miss but this is simply a picture of your provision of Jesus Christ. And you calling us to be obedient children by way of a new birth. Jesus, who knew no sin becoming sin for us on a sinner's cross that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Lord, make it so. For those who have never made this choice. God lead them, you've LED them this far, lead them to Simply pray to you and ask for you to come into their Their life and make what is dead live?

Cause them to commit to you, without exception, all everything, whithersoever that, you would have them being do that. It's yours to do with, as you please and give them this gift of eternal life in Christ. Jesus, new Grace by faith, by grace through faith alone, we pray it in Jesus name. Amen.