The Hard Way - Matt 7:13-14

The Hard Way

I hope y’all are having a great day! Camp is so much FUN!

I’m here tonight to tell you that GOD LOVES TO BE TRUSTED!

Review:

Sermon on the Mt. - Jesus teaching His about the WAY He wants them to live as members of His Kingdom

Matt 7:1-6 - Be careful not to be as concerned about other people’s faults and sins as we are about our own. We need to follow Jesus ourselves first.

Matt 7:7-12 - The GOLDEN Rule - Treat others as you want to be treated. How do you do that: Ask, Seek, Knock. God wants you to know how you can serve others. He wants us to TRUST Him and ask Him for help.

Living for Jesus is great! But it is NOT always EASY, and unfortunately NOT EVERYONE WILL DO IT.

PRAY

Think about your friends, your GOOD friends, those who you really want to be around - what is it about them that makes you like being around them? It is because of HOW they treat you, right?

Wouldn’t it be great if everyone treated each other like Jesus treated people?

LOVING

KIND

GENEROUS

FUN

CARING

HONEST

FORGIVING

GENUINE

WHY DON’T MORE PEOPLE ACT THIS WAY?!! Yes, because we are all sinners. Yes, because we are all selfish.

But, I don’t think people always CHOOSE to be selfish. I don’t think people always CHOOSE to be mean, or unkind, or ugly. They just don’t CHOOSE TO LIVE LIKE JESUS!

Matthew 7:13–14 NAS

“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. “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

When I was your age, I loved having fun. Man, I still LOVE to have fun. That is all I think I really cared about when I was younger. I spent alot time doing usually one of two things:

1. SPORTS (and other fun activities)

2. VIDEO GAMES

Whenever I had a choice of how to spend my time, this is what I would choose - HANDS DOWN. FOR SOOOO LONG.

Do you think this is common? That most kids might choose to play sports or video games or some other form of entertainment as soon as they have time?

That’s I what choose for a long time. I thought that was the best way to live a fun life! But there is a better way.

Matthew 7:13–14 NAS

“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. “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Teaching Points

There are two choices - the Small Gate and the Wide Gate. The RIGHT WAY and the Wrong Way.

The WRONG WAY

WIDE - anyone can go through it, in fact MANY do all the time.

BROAD - super easy way, rarely ever challenges you.

This is the ways that MOST people choose to live. It is easy to be selfish! It is easy to SIN. It is EASY TO NOT CHOOSE TO LIVE LIKE JESUS - which is choosing to not live like Jesus

ENDS IN DESTRUCTION!!!

The RIGHT WAY

Small - really ONLY ONE WAY IN

HARD - it is a more difficult way to live. It might cost some things, but...

IT LEADS to LIFE. It will take faith to live LIKE JESUS.

Instead of quickly choosing FUN as my default, I should have chosen FAITH first. I should have spent time reading my Bible and praying each day. Just a little would’ve been so good! But I didn’t.

Do you think I could’ve still played sports? Do you think I still could’ve played video games? Do you think I could still have HAD FUN?! You bet, but my priorities would not have been SO SELF CENTERED! And when the opportunities came to get to treat others well, I would have done so much better!

Lucky for me God is patient and forgiving. I missed so much time. But, I’m here to tell you that the narrow way is harder, but SO MUCH BETTER!

The last thing it says it that FEW WILL FIND IT.

Will you be one of the few? Will you trust Jesus Christ? Will you choose to live like He wants us to live? I hope so. The world could use more people living like Jesus.