Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Good morning Church!

If you have your Bible’s with you, I’d ask you to go ahead be turning with me to the Book of Matthew, Chapter 7, and today we will be looking at Verses 13-14.

Jesus speaks very candidly here in these two verses about two different paths that lead to two different places with two extraordinarily different outcomes and that is what I want us to look at this morning with a special emphasis on the highway to hell.

And dear friend, if at the end of this message you find yourself on the wrong path, I can say assuredly that you need to get off that path before it’s everlasting and too late!

Because if you don’t, the outcome of your eternal decision will be one of a grave mistake!

It’s not the path that God wants you on and the outcome of staying on that path is not the outcome that God wants for you!

The Bible says it’s not God’s will that any should perish but that all should come to repentance!

This morning, as the Prophet Jeremiah stated.... “I set before you the way of life and the way of death” (Jer 21:8) and the decision as to which path you take is totally up to you but my job is to make sure you understand the consequences of making the wrong decision!

There’s an old saying that says, “the road to Hell is paved with good intentions” and my prayer this morning is that if you find yourself on that road today, that you won’t allow your good intentions to keep you there!

My prayer is that you would get off that Highway to Hell and get on the Highway to Heaven, Amen!

With that, if you have your Bible’s turned to Matthew Chapter 7, Verses 13-14 would you say Amen.

Introduction # 2

Jesus speaks of two different “ways” a person can choose to travel while on this side of eternity.

You can choose to enter through the straight gate and travel the narrow way or you can choose to enter through the wide gate and travel the broad way.

The word used here when speaking of the “wide” gate means “spread out or flat”, and then the word “broad” means “spacious or wide.”

On the other hand, the word used for the “straight” gate means “narrow” while the word “narrow” when speaking of the way means “to press hard upon, a compressed way, a way of trouble, affliction and tribulation.”

Two gates, two ways, two crowds, two outcomes.

One is the Highway to Heaven while the other is the Highway to Hell.

And what I want us to look at this morning are three differences between the two roads and finish it out by looking at the consequences of the choice you make.

The first thing I want you to see about the Highway to Hell is that it is Inviting.

The Highway to Hell is Inviting

The wide gate and broad way make it enticing to go that way.

There’s no struggle to go this way.

There’s plenty of room.

You don’t have to fight anyone for a position.

It’s so wide and open that you can choose to make your own path!

It’s Easy

It’s Flashy

It’s Enjoyable

On the other hand, the straight gate and narrow way aren’t as enticing.

There are obstacle’s you will face by taking this path.

You will face troubles, trials, tribulations, heartache and strife!

You may face persecution and there’s a good possibility some will even hate you for the cause of Christ!

John 16:33 — These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.

In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

John 15:19–21 — 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord.

If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.

2 Timothy 3:12 — Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

Acts 14:21–22 — 21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, 22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

Now some would say, preacher that sounds like a horrible path to be on!

The wide gate and broad way sounds so much better and you would be correct in the fact that it “sounds” better!

But the reality is, in the long run it’s not better!

Listen friend, the Bible says....

There’s pleasure in sin for a season!

The wide gate and broad way may be better for a season but that season will one day come to an end and then, reality is going to set in and destruction is the end thereof!

But do you know what the Bible says about the straight gate and the narrow way?

Psalm 16:11 — Thou wilt shew me the path of life: In thy presence is fulness of joy; At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Listen, this morning if you’re playing the short game you’re in for a rude awakening on the other side of eternity!

You better be in it for the long game!

You need to understand that this side of eternity is temporal whereas that side is eternal!

You can enjoy sin for a season and suffer destruction for eternity or suffer persecution, trials, tribulations, heartache and strife for a season and reap the joys of life everlasting!

The choice is yours!

Everything about this side of eternity is temporal even the one who rules this world!

You see the Bible says that Satan is the god of this world…little “g” god might I add.

But he is the prince of the power of the air and man, does he think he’s something!

He’s the greeter standing at the entrance to the wide gate and broad way saying “come on in friend, the water is fine!”

He flaunts the ways of the world before your eyes, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life and says “all these things shall be yours if you but enter in this way!”

But what he doesn’t tell you is that they shall only be yours for a short time!

He doesn’t tell you that one day you will wake up on the wrong side of eternity and all those things your heart desired will be gone, utterly and completely destroyed and now those things your worked so hard to have and enjoy will mean nothing!

The one and only thing that mattered on this side of eternity he was able to distract you from and now you are left holding an empty bag of goods!

All for nought!

Now, the only thing left for you is an eternity in a place of darkness, heat, exhaustion; a place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, terrifying screams and crying out for help and taunting of devilish beings forevermore!

The Highway to Hell looks great, sounds great, seems great but the end thereof is the way of death and destruction!

On the other hand you have the Highway to Heaven.

It’s not easy.

It’s not flashy.

Sometimes, and I say sometimes, when you’re in the thick of it, suffering persecution and tribulations, it may not even seem enjoyable.

But praise God “weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning, Amen!”

This way shall be harder on this side but be of good cheer friend, Jesus has overcome the world and if you have put your trust in Him, you too shall overcome the world!

The prince of this world is temporal, but our King is eternal, praise God!

The thing that should keep each of us going are the remembrances of those who have gone before and chosen the straight gate and the narrow way, the Highway to Heaven, over the wide gate and the broad way, the Highway to Hell that leads to destruction!

Moses had an opportunity to choose the wide gate and the broad way but the Bible says in...

Hebrews 11:24–26 — 24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; 25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

We see the difference in the two gates in Abraham and Lot where Lot chose the wide gate and the broad way that led to destruction while Abraham chose the straight gate and the narrow way that led unto life everlasting!

We read about Esther and Mordecai who chose the straight gate and the narrow way while Haman chose the wide gate and the broad way and we all seen what happened to him!

You see the same thing in king David and king Saul.

Saul chose the wide gate and the broad way while David chose the straight gate and the narrow way.

The broad way and the wide gate led to Saul’s demise while the straight gate and the narrow way led to David’s deliverance and salvation!

Over and over and over the Bible gives us instances of people who have chosen the wide gate and the broad way and destruction has been their end!

While those who have endured and chose the straight gate and the narrow way end up with life eternal and joys everlasting!

The Highway to Hell is Inviting and not only is Inviting but it is also Inclusive!

The Highway to Hell is Inclusive

We live in a world today where anything and everything goes!

If you don’t like the way God made you, change yourself.

If you don’t like the gender God made you, change yourself.

If you don’t like the gender God created you to like, that’s ok, go against everything God’s word tells you and like your own gender.

No harm, no foul!

Do what makes you happy.

It’s ok!

Like drugs?

Do them...they won’t hurt!

Like alcohol?

Drink it up…no worries!

Like sex? Have as much of it as you want with whomever you want!

Fulfill those lustful desires!

Nothing bad can come from that!

That’s the message of the wide gate and the broad way!