Stay Off Broadway

In every major city in America has a street called Broadway. The street is usually easily accessible, it is usually wide, and it usually leads to popular destinations.

1. Stay in Your Lane (v.12)

The golden rule. It is so simple it doesn’t need much explaining. treat others the way you want to be treated. This verse 12 is the summary of the Sermon on the Mount. In this one verse Jesus give us the essence of what he has been saying in-regards to loving your neighbor.

As a Christian and Disciple of Jesus you are supposed to treat people thew way you want them to treat you, regardless of how they treat you! Notice Jesus doesn't say treat people they way they treated you, or the way you want to treat them. You are the standard of treatment in this case. When you are sick, you wan’t someone to pray for you…When you are broke, help you…mourning, be there…hurting, comfort…lost, find you…if you didn’t know Jesus you would want someone to introduce you.

The golden rule is not passive, its active, it is doing something.

Imagine how different the world would be (preach)

Imagine how different the church would be (preach)

The Law and the Prophets

2. Don’t Follow Traffic (v.13)

Now Jesus shifts from the meat of the sermon to the challenge of the sermon. He now begins disclose to the disciples and the crowd listening how to know that you are in fact in the kingdom. And here he does so by lettings us know that there are only two type of people in the world. The ones who enter by the narrow gate leading to life, and those who took Broadway leading to death. So, enter through the narrow gate. Jesus makes the assumption that by now they should know what the narrow gate is. Everything that he has just taught is the narrow way.

And you are presented with two choices and most people chose not to follow Jesus, they follow traffic.

According to research about mob mentality also called “Crowd Theory”, a small population within the mob makes the informed decisions that other people conform to. The larger the group gets, the fewer informed members there are. Also, it describes how people can be influenced by their peers to adopt certain behaviors on a largely emotional, rather than rational, basis. When individuals are affected by mob mentality, they may make different decisions than they would have individually. When you walk with the crowd you lose a sense of individuality in you thought process.

(Insurrection on the Capital, Tulsa Race Massacre, Riots in our own communities)

You might say, I’ve never been in the crowd and done anything like that…but if were honest we've all been in the largest crowd at some point, that is the world. You followed the crowd into that establishment…you followed the crowd to that party....(preach)

3. Take Your Exit with Jesus (v.14)

On the contrary, the way that leads to life is narrow and hard. Detrik Bonhoffer said, “grace is free but it is not cheap” it Cost Jesus his life, and so you are going to have to make some sacrifices as well. taking the narrow way in light of Jesus’ sermon means forfeiting your desires for that of God and lining up what you want to what God wants. It is not easy but is possible.

We enter this world in sin, says David. We are already on the road to destruction but Jesus gives us an exit. Enter by the narrow gate.

The troubling part of v.14 is this, there are few who find it. Do not expect everyone to know Jesus.

Why, why don’t people take the exit. Because they are comfortable living their life, in their truth, in their way, on their terms. It is about not wanting to be accountable to Jesus or their neighbor. As long as they are living their best life it doest matter if their neighbor is hungry. It doest matter if God is not pleased. The worlds mantra is eat drink and be merry. And the world is a huge flow of traffic of people headed on a highway to hell because they won’t take their exit in Jesus.

When I was in Los Angeles I found out what traffic was. I found out that once you got on the highway you were gonna be there a while. And just like in the spiritual when you get caught in the world its easy in, but hard to get out. So, there I was with my family stuck in the flow of traffic, burning gas, on the road leading to destruction. But as we slowly progressed I noticed cars zooming passed me on my left. So, I got over and zoomed past too. My wife said we’re gonna get in trouble because this was HOV (High-occupancy vehicle) aka the Car pool lane.

Jesus said, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.”

The reason why it is narrow as opposed to broad is because you must go through it alone.