WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:34.520 you Our text this morning as we're continuing 00:00:34.520 --> 00:00:37.039 our study of Matthew, the son of Matthew chapter 00:00:37.039 --> 00:00:39.939 7, we're at the end of the Sermon on the Mount. 00:00:40.479 --> 00:00:42.780 We'll be looking at two verses this morning, 00:00:42.880 --> 00:00:48.920 verses 13 and 14. Jesus, speaking there on that 00:00:48.920 --> 00:00:53.659 day, said, Enter by the narrow gate, for wide 00:00:53.659 --> 00:00:56.719 is the gate and broad is the way that leads to 00:00:56.719 --> 00:01:00.320 destruction. And there are many who go in by 00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:04.930 it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult 00:01:04.930 --> 00:01:09.510 is the way which leads to life. And there are 00:01:09.510 --> 00:01:15.310 few who find it. Let's pray. Lord, this is once 00:01:15.310 --> 00:01:18.370 again, Lord, a difficult text, a sobering text. 00:01:19.810 --> 00:01:22.129 Father, there's a narrow way that leads to life 00:01:22.129 --> 00:01:24.049 and there's a broad way that leads to destruction. 00:01:25.030 --> 00:01:27.969 God, help us this morning to understand what 00:01:27.969 --> 00:01:30.989 our Lord meant. And Lord God, help us to be wise 00:01:30.989 --> 00:01:33.030 unto salvation. Lord, this morning we pray this 00:01:33.030 --> 00:01:38.950 in Jesus' name. Amen. The road that you are on 00:01:38.950 --> 00:01:41.390 will always determine your destination. You know 00:01:41.390 --> 00:01:43.930 that. If you're on the wrong road, you will always 00:01:43.930 --> 00:01:46.969 end up in the wrong place. For example, if I 00:01:46.969 --> 00:01:48.930 wanted to head to New York City and I went out 00:01:48.930 --> 00:01:51.629 here and I got in my car, and as soon as I started 00:01:51.629 --> 00:01:54.409 traveling, I headed south. I'm never going to 00:01:54.409 --> 00:01:58.349 arrive at my intended destination. Because where 00:01:58.349 --> 00:02:00.290 you end up will be determined by the road that 00:02:00.290 --> 00:02:03.370 you take. That is not only true physically, but 00:02:03.370 --> 00:02:06.109 it is also true spiritually. And this is what 00:02:06.109 --> 00:02:09.469 our Lord was getting at. Your eternal destination 00:02:09.469 --> 00:02:14.030 is determined by which road, which path, which 00:02:14.030 --> 00:02:17.189 way that you take in life. So the question I 00:02:17.189 --> 00:02:19.050 would like to pose this morning at the very outset 00:02:19.050 --> 00:02:23.250 is what road are you on? See, in this brief passage, 00:02:23.330 --> 00:02:25.250 just these two verses, we see there are four 00:02:25.250 --> 00:02:29.060 groupings of two. There are two gates. There's 00:02:29.060 --> 00:02:31.879 a wide one and a narrow one. There are two different 00:02:31.879 --> 00:02:36.139 ways. A broad way, wide, and a difficult way. 00:02:36.800 --> 00:02:40.740 There are two destinations. One will end in destruction, 00:02:41.020 --> 00:02:43.599 and by the way, eternal destruction. And the 00:02:43.599 --> 00:02:46.199 other ends in life. And there are two different 00:02:46.199 --> 00:02:49.919 groups. There are the many who enter at the broad 00:02:49.919 --> 00:02:53.000 way and the few who enter into the narrow way. 00:02:53.840 --> 00:02:58.210 So what determines which road you're on. If the 00:02:58.210 --> 00:03:00.090 road determines the destination, what determines 00:03:00.090 --> 00:03:03.669 the road? It's the decisions you make. And we 00:03:03.669 --> 00:03:05.430 know that life is full of decisions, and they 00:03:05.430 --> 00:03:09.949 range from the mundane and trivial to life -giving, 00:03:10.090 --> 00:03:13.349 life -changing, and profound. All of us make 00:03:13.349 --> 00:03:16.050 decisions all day long. For example, we decide 00:03:16.050 --> 00:03:19.469 what to wear and what to eat, whether to marry 00:03:19.469 --> 00:03:23.789 or not, who to marry, where to work, if we're 00:03:23.789 --> 00:03:26.819 going to study, what career. Where will we live? 00:03:26.879 --> 00:03:29.680 What will we spend our money on? All kinds of 00:03:29.680 --> 00:03:32.900 choices like that lie before us. Now, obviously 00:03:32.900 --> 00:03:34.960 saying that, some of these decisions, some of 00:03:34.960 --> 00:03:36.520 these choices are more important than others. 00:03:37.039 --> 00:03:40.099 But none is as important as the decision that 00:03:40.099 --> 00:03:42.460 is put before us today in Matthew chapter 7, 00:03:42.539 --> 00:03:46.659 verses 13 and 14. Jesus said there's only one 00:03:46.659 --> 00:03:51.180 narrow road to eternal life. And he went further. 00:03:51.240 --> 00:03:52.879 He said, and by the way, that road is fraught 00:03:52.879 --> 00:03:56.550 with difficulty. It's a narrow gate, and it's 00:03:56.550 --> 00:03:59.550 a hard road. His message, though, when we speak 00:03:59.550 --> 00:04:01.289 about that there's one narrow road that leads 00:04:01.289 --> 00:04:03.250 to life. Now, if we were to say that today and 00:04:03.250 --> 00:04:05.650 we were on any news circuit, that message in 00:04:05.650 --> 00:04:08.969 itself would be anathema to our pluralistic culture. 00:04:09.449 --> 00:04:11.509 Because they believe, for example, they would 00:04:11.509 --> 00:04:13.610 say, well, God's like on a mountaintop, and there 00:04:13.610 --> 00:04:15.389 are many different roads you can take to get 00:04:15.389 --> 00:04:18.610 to the top of the mountain. Yet it was the Son 00:04:18.610 --> 00:04:22.329 of God himself. And he said there is one road. 00:04:22.889 --> 00:04:26.110 It is extremely narrow and it's the only one 00:04:26.110 --> 00:04:29.170 that leads to eternal life. Now we're at the 00:04:29.170 --> 00:04:32.089 end of the Sermon on the Mount. This is the climax 00:04:32.089 --> 00:04:34.110 that the Lord has been leading up to throughout 00:04:34.110 --> 00:04:36.709 this whole entire sermon. So he's been making 00:04:36.709 --> 00:04:38.529 a contrast because keep in mind the religious 00:04:38.529 --> 00:04:40.430 leaders, the scribes and Pharisees are present 00:04:40.430 --> 00:04:44.769 there. So he's been contrasting the false external 00:04:44.769 --> 00:04:48.389 righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. These 00:04:48.389 --> 00:04:50.029 should have been the ones leading people to Christ. 00:04:50.550 --> 00:04:53.879 Leading people in true worship of God. He's contrasting 00:04:53.879 --> 00:04:57.819 their hypocrisy with the true internal righteousness 00:04:57.819 --> 00:05:03.019 that the kingdom of God demands. Now, this sermon 00:05:03.019 --> 00:05:05.180 was given at the beginning of his earthly ministry. 00:05:05.839 --> 00:05:08.000 That means that his death and resurrection are 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:10.699 still a couple years away. But even now, he's 00:05:10.699 --> 00:05:13.379 preaching about a narrow gate leading to a narrow 00:05:13.379 --> 00:05:16.420 hard way, and it is the one that ends an eternal 00:05:16.420 --> 00:05:21.019 life. Now we don't have to guess what the analogy 00:05:21.019 --> 00:05:23.879 is referring to. Christ himself is the narrow 00:05:23.879 --> 00:05:27.240 way. He is letting his people, Israel, because 00:05:27.240 --> 00:05:29.220 that's who's gathered there. He's letting Israel 00:05:29.220 --> 00:05:32.579 know very clearly that the king, the king of 00:05:32.579 --> 00:05:36.060 Israel had come, the messianic age had dawned, 00:05:36.060 --> 00:05:39.459 and now they were to follow him. He's the narrow 00:05:39.459 --> 00:05:43.439 way. But he began in the sermon in chapter 5, 00:05:43.500 --> 00:05:46.420 and he describes the character of the people. 00:05:47.199 --> 00:05:50.740 Who will be in his kingdom? Who comprises the 00:05:50.740 --> 00:05:53.839 kingdom of God? Jesus said, first of all, in 00:05:53.839 --> 00:05:57.019 Matthew 5 .3, he said the poor in spirit. They 00:05:57.019 --> 00:05:59.680 are the ones who mourn over their sins. Blessed 00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:04.220 are they who mourn. Blessed are the meek. Blessed, 00:06:04.339 --> 00:06:06.620 happy are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. 00:06:08.139 --> 00:06:11.420 Blessed are the merciful. The pure in heart. 00:06:12.600 --> 00:06:15.259 Blessed are they who seek peace. Blessed are 00:06:15.259 --> 00:06:17.779 the peacemakers. And finally, he says, blessed 00:06:17.779 --> 00:06:20.480 are they who are willing to suffer persecution 00:06:20.480 --> 00:06:24.939 for the cause of righteousness. He goes on and 00:06:24.939 --> 00:06:27.560 he says, God's people in Matthew 6, second part 00:06:27.560 --> 00:06:29.600 of the chapter. He says, God's people are they 00:06:29.600 --> 00:06:31.259 who are going to give and they're going to pray 00:06:31.259 --> 00:06:32.899 and they're going to fast, but they're going 00:06:32.899 --> 00:06:34.879 to do it authentically. They're going to do it 00:06:34.879 --> 00:06:37.240 in secret as opposed to the hypocrisy of the 00:06:37.240 --> 00:06:39.540 religious leaders who loved the praise of men, 00:06:39.660 --> 00:06:41.600 who sought for people to see them as they were 00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:45.350 praying and giving and fasting. He goes on in 00:06:45.350 --> 00:06:47.730 verse 33 of chapter 6. He said, God's people 00:06:47.730 --> 00:06:50.730 are they who seek him and his kingdom first. 00:06:51.750 --> 00:06:55.589 They're the ones who ask and seek and knock for 00:06:55.589 --> 00:06:58.970 grace and mercy in their lives. And now we're 00:06:58.970 --> 00:07:01.449 at the end of the sermon. And just as any good 00:07:01.449 --> 00:07:04.250 preacher does, he's asked those who are gathered 00:07:04.250 --> 00:07:08.449 there listening to him to make a decision. To 00:07:08.449 --> 00:07:11.310 make a decision on what they've just heard. They 00:07:11.310 --> 00:07:14.800 had to make a choice. To remain neutral to Christ, 00:07:14.959 --> 00:07:17.480 to remain neutral to his message was not an option. 00:07:17.639 --> 00:07:20.139 But God has always called his people to make 00:07:20.139 --> 00:07:22.279 a decision concerning himself. There's always 00:07:22.279 --> 00:07:24.860 been just two choices. And you see that even 00:07:24.860 --> 00:07:27.420 as we go back to the Old Testament. Deuteronomy 00:07:27.420 --> 00:07:31.899 chapter 30 verse 19. Moses here. I call heaven 00:07:31.899 --> 00:07:36.639 and earth as witnesses today against you. God 00:07:36.639 --> 00:07:38.879 speaking to his people. I have set before you 00:07:38.879 --> 00:07:41.740 life and death. blessing and cursing. Therefore, 00:07:41.839 --> 00:07:44.180 choose life that both you and your descendants 00:07:44.180 --> 00:07:49.560 may live. 1 Kings chapter 18. You have Elijah 00:07:49.560 --> 00:07:52.180 here. He says, how long are you going to falter? 00:07:52.180 --> 00:07:54.279 How long are you going to halt between two decisions? 00:07:55.379 --> 00:07:58.500 If the Lord is God, we'll follow him. And if 00:07:58.500 --> 00:08:01.620 Baal will be God, follow him. But make up your 00:08:01.620 --> 00:08:06.939 mind. Choose. The prophet Jeremiah. Here's what 00:08:06.939 --> 00:08:08.819 the Lord said. Behold, I set before you the way 00:08:08.819 --> 00:08:14.490 of life. And the way of death. Two choices. Life 00:08:14.490 --> 00:08:18.769 or death. Blessing or cursing. And now the Lord 00:08:18.769 --> 00:08:21.050 Jesus has come. He's the Messiah sent from heaven. 00:08:21.649 --> 00:08:25.209 And he's calling for a response. But he issues 00:08:25.209 --> 00:08:29.069 a warning. A failure to respond would also be 00:08:29.069 --> 00:08:33.009 catastrophic. Those who heard him must make a 00:08:33.009 --> 00:08:36.090 decision. Why? The king was present. The king 00:08:36.090 --> 00:08:38.509 had come. He's offering to them the kingdom. 00:08:40.080 --> 00:08:42.879 Are they going to enter in? But he said, if you're 00:08:42.879 --> 00:08:44.919 going to enter, it's only by one narrow way, 00:08:45.019 --> 00:08:47.919 and that's it. Now, contrary to what many believe 00:08:47.919 --> 00:08:50.620 today, our Lord was not simply speaking about 00:08:50.620 --> 00:08:53.759 people following the ethic of his kingdom. Because 00:08:53.759 --> 00:08:56.019 there are many today who pay lip service, especially 00:08:56.019 --> 00:08:58.320 you see this in political speeches. I don't know 00:08:58.320 --> 00:09:00.299 if you've ever noticed, but politicians on both 00:09:00.299 --> 00:09:03.100 sides of the aisle will often reference the Sermon 00:09:03.100 --> 00:09:06.679 on the Mount. And they like the ethic that Jesus 00:09:06.679 --> 00:09:09.600 espoused. They even believe that the world would 00:09:09.600 --> 00:09:12.019 be a better place if everyone lived by the Sermon 00:09:12.019 --> 00:09:15.740 on the Mount. Of course, that's true. The world 00:09:15.740 --> 00:09:18.059 would be better if everyone lived by the Golden 00:09:18.059 --> 00:09:20.059 Rule, which is what we looked at last week. If 00:09:20.059 --> 00:09:22.559 everyone did to others as they would like for 00:09:22.559 --> 00:09:25.639 others to do to them. But friends, they're missing 00:09:25.639 --> 00:09:28.480 the point of the sermon. Jesus is not merely 00:09:28.480 --> 00:09:31.039 trying to get people to live by a better ethic. 00:09:32.720 --> 00:09:35.600 He is actually setting before them life. He is 00:09:35.600 --> 00:09:38.799 speaking about eternal salvation. He's speaking 00:09:38.799 --> 00:09:42.179 about the narrow way that leads into it. He said 00:09:42.179 --> 00:09:44.059 there's only a few of you who are listening who 00:09:44.059 --> 00:09:45.779 are going to make that choice and enter into 00:09:45.779 --> 00:09:48.019 life, and many of you are listening and you're 00:09:48.019 --> 00:09:50.980 going to enter into eternal destruction. Friends, 00:09:51.059 --> 00:09:53.480 our ears ought to perk up at that. The Son of 00:09:53.480 --> 00:09:56.399 God is saying many that day will go to hell, 00:09:56.559 --> 00:09:59.759 is what he's saying. What makes the difference 00:09:59.759 --> 00:10:01.960 there? What makes the difference between life 00:10:01.960 --> 00:10:06.019 and death, life and destruction? It's the way 00:10:06.019 --> 00:10:09.720 you respond to Jesus. The true question is, what 00:10:09.720 --> 00:10:13.320 will you do with Jesus? Now, you have to keep 00:10:13.320 --> 00:10:15.299 in mind the context. You always should do that. 00:10:15.379 --> 00:10:18.059 The context is all those who were listening to 00:10:18.059 --> 00:10:21.080 Jesus that day, all of them were Jewish. He was 00:10:21.080 --> 00:10:25.899 preaching to Israel. So you have there, some 00:10:25.899 --> 00:10:29.120 were already disciples. But you also had in that 00:10:29.120 --> 00:10:31.899 group some who were just curious. They were yet 00:10:31.899 --> 00:10:34.799 undecided about Jesus. They liked what he said. 00:10:34.860 --> 00:10:36.659 They liked some of the things they saw, but they 00:10:36.659 --> 00:10:39.019 had not made up their mind. And then there were 00:10:39.019 --> 00:10:41.840 also some who were opposed to Jesus. The religious 00:10:41.840 --> 00:10:44.059 leaders, the scribes and Pharisees, were also 00:10:44.059 --> 00:10:46.240 there eavesdropping on what Jesus was saying. 00:10:47.299 --> 00:10:49.879 Now, since they were Jews, the prevailing thought 00:10:49.879 --> 00:10:52.519 among Israel that day was that they were already 00:10:52.519 --> 00:10:55.879 right with God. They were in covenant with him. 00:10:56.519 --> 00:10:59.340 They believed that they were already citizens 00:10:59.340 --> 00:11:01.779 in God's kingdom because they were the sons of 00:11:01.779 --> 00:11:05.340 Abraham. In fact, they bore the sign of covenant, 00:11:05.419 --> 00:11:09.679 which was circumcision. And here you have an 00:11:09.679 --> 00:11:16.179 itinerant preacher from some podunk town, Nazareth, 00:11:16.299 --> 00:11:19.500 coming along and telling them, despite your ancestry, 00:11:19.879 --> 00:11:23.220 despite your lineage, despite being circumcised, 00:11:23.399 --> 00:11:27.860 despite being Jews, Only a few of you all will 00:11:27.860 --> 00:11:30.039 enter into the kingdom and many of you all will 00:11:30.039 --> 00:11:36.000 be shut out. Why would so many not enter? This 00:11:36.000 --> 00:11:40.279 is the answer. The king had come. The king was 00:11:40.279 --> 00:11:43.799 present. And most of Israel, most of the people 00:11:43.799 --> 00:11:47.320 would reject him. John said so in his gospel, 00:11:47.419 --> 00:11:51.980 John 1 .11. He, Jesus, came to his own and his 00:11:51.980 --> 00:11:56.279 own received him not. His own did not receive 00:11:56.279 --> 00:12:00.220 him. Entrance, folks, into the kingdom of God 00:12:00.220 --> 00:12:02.960 is determined by how one responds to Christ. 00:12:04.179 --> 00:12:07.299 You will either bow before him, confessing him 00:12:07.299 --> 00:12:11.659 as Lord, or you ignore him or outright reject 00:12:11.659 --> 00:12:15.220 him to your own peril. In our passage this morning, 00:12:15.299 --> 00:12:17.000 the first thing to observe are the two gates. 00:12:17.639 --> 00:12:19.340 Two gates are right there, Jesus said. There's 00:12:19.340 --> 00:12:21.460 a big wide one and there's a very narrow one. 00:12:21.659 --> 00:12:23.779 And he's commanding the people. It's a command, 00:12:24.039 --> 00:12:26.700 an imperative here. Enter into the narrow gate, 00:12:26.840 --> 00:12:30.059 verse 13. Enter by the narrow gate. Don't stop 00:12:30.059 --> 00:12:32.480 outside of it and look at it. Don't admire the 00:12:32.480 --> 00:12:33.980 gate. He says you've got to walk through it. 00:12:35.320 --> 00:12:38.340 But in addition to the narrow gate, there is 00:12:38.340 --> 00:12:42.000 a very wide gate, a broad one there. And it's 00:12:42.000 --> 00:12:44.679 more than capable of accommodating all the people 00:12:44.679 --> 00:12:48.159 at one time. It's extraordinarily broad. Now, 00:12:48.179 --> 00:12:51.259 what is that narrow gate? Thankfully, you and 00:12:51.259 --> 00:12:53.139 I don't have to wonder. We don't have to guess. 00:12:53.220 --> 00:12:55.460 It is very clearly revealed. In John chapter 00:12:55.460 --> 00:13:00.259 10, verse 9, Jesus said, I am the door. I am 00:13:00.259 --> 00:13:05.019 the gate. If anyone enters by me, he will be 00:13:05.019 --> 00:13:08.679 saved. John 14, 6, Jesus says, I am the way, 00:13:08.700 --> 00:13:10.799 the truth, and the life. No man comes to the 00:13:10.799 --> 00:13:16.100 Father but by me. John 10, John 14, these verses 00:13:16.100 --> 00:13:19.159 give clarity. They clarify the narrow gate that 00:13:19.159 --> 00:13:22.179 Jesus is referring to in Matthew 7, 13, and 14 00:13:22.179 --> 00:13:28.559 was himself. Christ is the gate. The way to heaven 00:13:28.559 --> 00:13:35.039 is as narrow as the Lord Jesus. The way to eternal 00:13:35.039 --> 00:13:41.720 life is as narrow as Christ himself. Now he's 00:13:41.720 --> 00:13:43.379 speaking to Israel. The Jews should have understood 00:13:43.379 --> 00:13:46.659 that he was their Messiah sent from God. I mean, 00:13:46.659 --> 00:13:49.320 after all, he performed mighty miracles. He did 00:13:49.320 --> 00:13:51.259 wonder signs before them. I mean, he's cleansing 00:13:51.259 --> 00:13:53.460 lepers. He's giving sight to the blind, hearing 00:13:53.460 --> 00:13:55.759 to the deaf. On some occasions, he even raised 00:13:55.759 --> 00:14:01.519 the dead. He was the promised king. But most 00:14:01.519 --> 00:14:04.580 of them could not see him for who he truly was. 00:14:05.480 --> 00:14:08.340 Why? I mean, if he's doing all those things, 00:14:08.399 --> 00:14:11.710 why couldn't they see him for who he was? Because 00:14:11.710 --> 00:14:14.649 they had a certain expectation and Jesus did 00:14:14.649 --> 00:14:16.750 not fit the bill of how they thought the Messiah 00:14:16.750 --> 00:14:21.250 would come. He did not look like a king. Isaiah 00:14:21.250 --> 00:14:25.549 53, he has no form or comeliness. He's not good 00:14:25.549 --> 00:14:28.610 looking. And when we see him, there's no beauty 00:14:28.610 --> 00:14:30.429 that we should desire him. There's nothing attractive, 00:14:30.610 --> 00:14:34.149 nothing compelling about his person. In fact, 00:14:34.149 --> 00:14:38.700 he's despised, rejected by men. Christ did not 00:14:38.700 --> 00:14:41.220 come with pomp and circumstance as great kings 00:14:41.220 --> 00:14:46.019 often do. Instead, he came in obscurity, clothed 00:14:46.019 --> 00:14:50.480 in humility. But it wasn't just his look. It 00:14:50.480 --> 00:14:53.259 was also his doctrine, his teaching. What he 00:14:53.259 --> 00:14:55.899 was teaching often conflicted with the kingdom 00:14:55.899 --> 00:14:58.980 expectations of the people at that time. What 00:14:58.980 --> 00:15:00.899 did they think the Messiah was going to do? Well, 00:15:00.919 --> 00:15:02.980 he's going to come, and since Rome is ruling 00:15:02.980 --> 00:15:05.580 over them in their land, They thought, man, this 00:15:05.580 --> 00:15:08.559 great political deliverer is going to come. He's 00:15:08.559 --> 00:15:10.960 going to free us from Roman occupation, and he 00:15:10.960 --> 00:15:13.360 will establish a prosperous Jewish kingdom in 00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:18.120 its place. But what was Jesus preaching? Matthew 00:15:18.120 --> 00:15:21.440 5, blessed are the meek. Blessed are the merciful. 00:15:22.159 --> 00:15:24.639 Blessed are they who seek peace and pursue it. 00:15:26.039 --> 00:15:30.019 What? He's never going to get rid of Rome. And 00:15:30.019 --> 00:15:33.700 the Jews stumbled over him. They did not see 00:15:33.700 --> 00:15:38.259 him as the Christ. That's the narrow gate. But 00:15:38.259 --> 00:15:40.000 on the other hand, there's that wide gate. And 00:15:40.000 --> 00:15:42.820 by the way, that wide gate is always open. This 00:15:42.820 --> 00:15:44.659 is the gate that ignores Jesus. It doesn't even 00:15:44.659 --> 00:15:46.620 have to outright reject him. It just ignores 00:15:46.620 --> 00:15:51.120 him. The wide gate requires no repentance. It 00:15:51.120 --> 00:15:54.720 requires no faith. To enter into the wide gate, 00:15:54.799 --> 00:15:57.000 you don't have to do anything except be born. 00:15:57.659 --> 00:16:00.519 And you'll be traveling it. But to enter the 00:16:00.519 --> 00:16:04.500 narrow gate, this is key, to enter into that 00:16:04.500 --> 00:16:07.120 narrow gate, you have to see your own spiritual 00:16:07.120 --> 00:16:12.019 poverty. Matthew 5 .3, this is the key. Blessed, 00:16:12.220 --> 00:16:16.659 mercadios, happy. Happy are the poor in spirit, 00:16:16.840 --> 00:16:21.500 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom 00:16:21.500 --> 00:16:25.820 of heaven belongs to the poor in spirit. Now, 00:16:25.840 --> 00:16:27.039 if the kingdom of heaven belongs to the poor 00:16:27.039 --> 00:16:28.620 in spirit, I want to know what it means to be 00:16:28.620 --> 00:16:30.980 poor in spirit. This is to understand that you 00:16:30.980 --> 00:16:33.659 have nothing to offer to God. They, the Jews, 00:16:33.840 --> 00:16:36.019 they had to understand this, that despite being 00:16:36.019 --> 00:16:40.399 Jews, they were still sinners. They still needed 00:16:40.399 --> 00:16:43.399 to repent. They still needed the mercy of God. 00:16:45.200 --> 00:16:47.139 But the word on the street was that the Jews 00:16:47.139 --> 00:16:49.840 did not need to repent. Oh, yeah, there's wicked, 00:16:49.940 --> 00:16:52.360 pagan, dirty Gentiles did. Of course they need 00:16:52.360 --> 00:16:55.320 to repent, but not us. We're the chosen people 00:16:55.320 --> 00:16:59.259 of God. And the irony was that the chosen people 00:16:59.259 --> 00:17:02.000 of God could not see the Messiah who was sent 00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:07.180 from God. So most of them, especially those hearing 00:17:07.180 --> 00:17:09.759 him, they decided to stay on that broad way that 00:17:09.759 --> 00:17:12.000 led to destruction. Because there's two gates, 00:17:12.079 --> 00:17:13.940 one wide, one narrow, and the narrow one's Christ 00:17:13.940 --> 00:17:16.819 himself. Now that message does not need to debate 00:17:16.819 --> 00:17:19.380 it. We don't debate it. We just need to preach 00:17:19.380 --> 00:17:22.460 it, proclaim it, herald it. That's it. We're 00:17:22.460 --> 00:17:24.700 not going to debate the claims of Christ. There's 00:17:24.700 --> 00:17:28.200 one narrow gate because there's only one mediator 00:17:28.200 --> 00:17:31.960 between God and man. Just one. 1 Timothy 2 .5 00:17:31.960 --> 00:17:36.319 For there is one God and one mediator, the man 00:17:36.319 --> 00:17:41.339 Christ Jesus. That's it. We must proclaim that. 00:17:42.670 --> 00:17:44.289 But how do you know that you're on this road 00:17:44.289 --> 00:17:45.750 and in the narrow gate? What's going to be the 00:17:45.750 --> 00:17:48.170 sign there that's showing us anything? And this 00:17:48.170 --> 00:17:50.630 is key as well. The sign that shows us the narrow 00:17:50.630 --> 00:17:53.470 gate will always be the sign of repentance. Outside 00:17:53.470 --> 00:17:55.769 that narrow gate, I believe, is a big sign saying 00:17:55.769 --> 00:17:58.950 repent. Why do I say that? Because remember John 00:17:58.950 --> 00:18:00.609 the Baptist, when he comes on the scene, he's 00:18:00.609 --> 00:18:02.849 the forerunner of the Messiah. What was his message? 00:18:03.210 --> 00:18:07.230 Preaching to Israel. Matthew 3, 2, repent, for 00:18:07.230 --> 00:18:10.369 the kingdom of heaven is at hand. He's the forerunner, 00:18:10.390 --> 00:18:11.750 and he's telling Israel, you need to repent. 00:18:12.329 --> 00:18:15.069 He introduces Jesus one chapter later. Jesus 00:18:15.069 --> 00:18:18.369 begins to preach to Israel. What was he preaching? 00:18:18.809 --> 00:18:21.750 Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 00:18:21.809 --> 00:18:26.410 It's here. The king's here. Peter, also preaching 00:18:26.410 --> 00:18:30.809 to Israel. What did he preach? Acts 2 .38. Repent. 00:18:31.509 --> 00:18:33.730 Let every one of you be baptized in the name 00:18:33.730 --> 00:18:37.109 of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. Paul, 00:18:37.289 --> 00:18:39.490 after he was gloriously saved, he began to preach. 00:18:39.569 --> 00:18:43.140 What did he preach? Acts 20. testifying to the 00:18:43.140 --> 00:18:45.559 Jews and also to the Gentiles, to the Greeks, 00:18:45.660 --> 00:18:49.400 repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord 00:18:49.400 --> 00:18:53.559 Jesus Christ. The message was undeniable. Israel 00:18:53.559 --> 00:18:57.079 needed to repent. Now with all that being true, 00:18:57.279 --> 00:19:00.319 today I find it incredible that there are some 00:19:00.319 --> 00:19:03.099 preachers who say that we do not need to preach 00:19:03.099 --> 00:19:06.119 repentance. They believe that you'll enter into 00:19:06.119 --> 00:19:09.119 the kingdom of God without it. And that's a damnable 00:19:09.119 --> 00:19:12.039 lie. That's a broad lie. road that leads to destruction. 00:19:12.740 --> 00:19:14.920 If you are going to enter into the kingdom of 00:19:14.920 --> 00:19:18.859 God, you must repent. You must. You must repent 00:19:18.859 --> 00:19:22.319 of your sin. You give up your attempts at self 00:19:22.319 --> 00:19:25.380 -justification. You know you can't do it. Self 00:19:25.380 --> 00:19:28.779 -indulgence, self -confidence, self -satisfaction, 00:19:28.839 --> 00:19:32.039 and particularly self -righteousness. It's got 00:19:32.039 --> 00:19:35.900 to go. Remember the poor in spirit? That means 00:19:35.900 --> 00:19:38.230 you see yourself as Poverty stricken, spiritually 00:19:38.230 --> 00:19:41.970 speaking. You are a bankrupt sinner. And as we 00:19:41.970 --> 00:19:46.569 just sang, you've got to run to Christ. Friends, 00:19:46.609 --> 00:19:48.630 once your eyes are open, the Holy Spirit shows 00:19:48.630 --> 00:19:50.670 you your eyes are open, and you see your true 00:19:50.670 --> 00:19:53.029 condition before God, you will want to run to 00:19:53.029 --> 00:19:56.670 Christ. Who else are you going to run to? The 00:19:56.670 --> 00:19:59.910 narrow gate, though. It's not some easy believism. 00:20:01.100 --> 00:20:03.559 Easy believism says, and this is how they evangelize, 00:20:03.599 --> 00:20:05.519 you just go out to people and you real quickly, 00:20:05.539 --> 00:20:07.240 you share a few verses and you say, hey, you 00:20:07.240 --> 00:20:08.619 want to go to heaven? You want to enter in the 00:20:08.619 --> 00:20:10.819 kingdom of God? Then pray this prayer. And then, 00:20:10.839 --> 00:20:12.440 by the way, if you pray this prayer and you really 00:20:12.440 --> 00:20:14.640 meant it, well, you have eternal life regardless 00:20:14.640 --> 00:20:17.500 of what you do from this point forward. What 00:20:17.500 --> 00:20:19.940 could be easier than a simple prayer without 00:20:19.940 --> 00:20:24.900 repentance? That's the way to destruction. Jesus 00:20:24.900 --> 00:20:27.980 said, unless you repent, you will all likewise 00:20:27.980 --> 00:20:34.160 perish. Repentance leads us to leave our sin 00:20:34.160 --> 00:20:37.119 behind and run to the solution for sin, which 00:20:37.119 --> 00:20:40.940 is Jesus himself. Martin Lloyd -Jones, the great 00:20:40.940 --> 00:20:43.980 doctor, he said, the gospel of Jesus Christ openly 00:20:43.980 --> 00:20:47.619 and uncompromisingly announces itself as being 00:20:47.619 --> 00:20:50.019 something which starts with a narrow entrance, 00:20:50.259 --> 00:20:53.539 a straight, and that's the King James word there, 00:20:53.740 --> 00:20:58.599 gate. Two gates. You open them, they lead to 00:20:58.599 --> 00:21:03.380 two roads. A very wide, broad road. And then 00:21:03.380 --> 00:21:07.359 my text is a difficult road. The narrow gate, 00:21:07.640 --> 00:21:11.200 you open it, and what lies before you is a difficult 00:21:11.200 --> 00:21:14.220 road. Verse 14. Because narrow is a gate and 00:21:14.220 --> 00:21:16.839 difficult is the way which leads to life. That 00:21:16.839 --> 00:21:20.359 word difficult, it's the Greek word phlebo, and 00:21:20.359 --> 00:21:22.660 it literally means narrow, but it means this. 00:21:22.759 --> 00:21:26.440 It's pressed in. It's the idea of persecuted. 00:21:27.559 --> 00:21:29.839 It's literally what it means. So the idea of 00:21:29.839 --> 00:21:32.440 a road that is philebo is that you are being 00:21:32.440 --> 00:21:35.180 squeezed. You're like in a vice grip. Trials 00:21:35.180 --> 00:21:37.940 of life are pressing in upon you. Life is hard. 00:21:38.940 --> 00:21:42.019 Life is hard on this road. The Lord never ever 00:21:42.019 --> 00:21:46.599 hid what being a disciple of his cost. He said, 00:21:46.599 --> 00:21:49.180 if you're going to follow me, it's going to be 00:21:49.180 --> 00:21:52.700 difficult. Matthew 8. When he had called the 00:21:52.700 --> 00:21:54.680 people to himself with disciples, he said to 00:21:54.680 --> 00:21:57.410 them, Whoever desires to come after me, let him 00:21:57.410 --> 00:21:59.369 deny himself and take up his cross and follow 00:21:59.369 --> 00:22:03.130 me. For whoever desires to save his life, you're 00:22:03.130 --> 00:22:06.710 going to lose it. But whoever loses his life 00:22:06.710 --> 00:22:09.769 for my sake and the gospels will save it. Again, 00:22:09.829 --> 00:22:11.309 we have to remember, what's the context? Jesus 00:22:11.309 --> 00:22:14.789 is speaking to the Jewish nation. If the Jews 00:22:14.789 --> 00:22:18.690 confess Christ as Messiah, it would cost them 00:22:18.690 --> 00:22:21.569 something. Why? Because remember those scribes 00:22:21.569 --> 00:22:23.970 and Pharisees, those hypocrites? They had already 00:22:23.970 --> 00:22:27.730 determined that Jesus was an imposter. They had 00:22:27.730 --> 00:22:30.230 already prejudged him as a charlatan, a fake. 00:22:30.369 --> 00:22:32.910 And they said, if any Jew starts to say that 00:22:32.910 --> 00:22:35.490 this one, Jesus, is the Messiah, he needs to 00:22:35.490 --> 00:22:38.430 be excommunicated from religious life. Kick him 00:22:38.430 --> 00:22:40.210 out of the temple. Kick him out of the synagogue. 00:22:40.849 --> 00:22:43.210 And we read about that in John 16, by the way. 00:22:43.950 --> 00:22:46.049 These things, Jesus said, I have spoken to you 00:22:46.049 --> 00:22:48.450 that you should not be made to stumble. Don't 00:22:48.450 --> 00:22:51.819 be surprised. They will put you out of the synagogues. 00:22:51.920 --> 00:22:54.359 Yes, the time is coming. Now listen to this. 00:22:54.759 --> 00:22:58.119 Whoever kills you will think that he offers God 00:22:58.119 --> 00:23:00.119 service. Whoever kills you will think that he's 00:23:00.119 --> 00:23:02.920 doing God's will. That's the Apostle Paul before 00:23:02.920 --> 00:23:05.839 being converted. Verse 3. And these things they 00:23:05.839 --> 00:23:07.299 will do to you because they have not known the 00:23:07.299 --> 00:23:10.740 Father nor me. The Jews don't know God the Father 00:23:10.740 --> 00:23:14.019 or him, he said. John 9 .22. They had already 00:23:14.019 --> 00:23:16.420 agreed that if anyone confessed that he, Jesus, 00:23:16.480 --> 00:23:20.880 was Christ. Bye -bye. Get him out. He's out of 00:23:20.880 --> 00:23:23.400 the synagogue. So that meant to follow Jesus 00:23:23.400 --> 00:23:26.319 cost them something. It was certain suffering. 00:23:27.359 --> 00:23:29.900 They would be excluded from temple worship. They 00:23:29.900 --> 00:23:31.680 would be excluded from any synagogue where they 00:23:31.680 --> 00:23:33.839 might live. They would be ostracized from the 00:23:33.839 --> 00:23:35.700 community that they had always enjoyed and known. 00:23:35.900 --> 00:23:37.920 And by the way, they would face tremendous physical 00:23:37.920 --> 00:23:41.299 danger. But remember what the Lord said to them 00:23:41.299 --> 00:23:44.720 in this sermon? Go back to Matthew 5 .10. Blessed 00:23:44.720 --> 00:23:47.000 are those who are persecuted for righteousness 00:23:47.000 --> 00:23:52.240 sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. It 00:23:52.240 --> 00:23:56.740 belongs to you. To identify with Jesus is to 00:23:56.740 --> 00:24:00.400 invite ridicule, to invite scorn, and to invite 00:24:00.400 --> 00:24:04.859 persecution. The way was difficult, but it was 00:24:04.859 --> 00:24:08.029 worth it because it led to life. He says, don't 00:24:08.029 --> 00:24:09.690 worry. Yes, you're going to suffer, but the kingdom's 00:24:09.690 --> 00:24:11.650 yours. The kingdom of heaven is yours. You go 00:24:11.650 --> 00:24:13.109 through the book of Acts and then you start to 00:24:13.109 --> 00:24:15.029 see the church develop and you'll see that those 00:24:15.029 --> 00:24:17.589 Jews who did follow Christ, those few who chose 00:24:17.589 --> 00:24:20.650 him, Matthew 7, 14, they did face intense persecution 00:24:20.650 --> 00:24:23.130 from their own countrymen. The original persecutors 00:24:23.130 --> 00:24:24.930 of the church was not Rome, it was the Jews. 00:24:25.609 --> 00:24:28.509 In Acts chapter 7, you see Stephen, the first 00:24:28.509 --> 00:24:30.410 martyr of the church. Here's a Jew preaching 00:24:30.410 --> 00:24:32.329 to Jews and they took up rocks and hurled him 00:24:32.329 --> 00:24:35.799 till he died. In Acts chapter 8 we read, at that 00:24:35.799 --> 00:24:38.440 time a great persecution rose against the church 00:24:38.440 --> 00:24:41.319 at Jerusalem. Acts chapter 9, this is the apostle 00:24:41.319 --> 00:24:44.240 Paul before he was saved. Chapter 9 verse 1, 00:24:44.460 --> 00:24:48.599 Saul still breathing threats and murder against 00:24:48.599 --> 00:24:52.400 the disciples of the Lord. Acts 14, now Saul, 00:24:52.700 --> 00:24:57.259 now Paul, he's gloriously converted, he's now 00:24:57.259 --> 00:24:59.269 preaching. And he goes with Barnabas and he's 00:24:59.269 --> 00:25:01.150 preaching to the Jewish churches. And he says, 00:25:01.230 --> 00:25:03.730 the Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there. 00:25:04.150 --> 00:25:07.930 I got ahead of myself. Having persuaded the multitudes, 00:25:08.109 --> 00:25:11.049 they stoned Paul. They dragged him out of the 00:25:11.049 --> 00:25:13.809 city, supposing to be dead. Paul, who had murdered 00:25:13.809 --> 00:25:16.910 Christians, is now apparently the subject of 00:25:16.910 --> 00:25:19.049 murder. Of course, he gets up. We don't know, 00:25:19.069 --> 00:25:21.029 did he really die? Some say, yes, we don't know. 00:25:21.150 --> 00:25:23.990 But we do know this, he was raised again. Perhaps, 00:25:24.109 --> 00:25:26.880 maybe he didn't die. But anyways. He and Barnabas 00:25:26.880 --> 00:25:29.119 now, they go back on a preaching tour. And then 00:25:29.119 --> 00:25:30.680 verse 22 says, here's what they're preaching 00:25:30.680 --> 00:25:34.180 to the churches. Strengthening the souls of the 00:25:34.180 --> 00:25:35.579 disciples. Why do you need to strengthen them? 00:25:36.279 --> 00:25:38.779 They're weak. Why are they weak? They're just 00:25:38.779 --> 00:25:41.940 a small group being ruthlessly persecuted. And 00:25:41.940 --> 00:25:43.799 they're exhorting them to continue in the faith. 00:25:43.880 --> 00:25:45.359 Why exhorting them to continue in the faith? 00:25:46.119 --> 00:25:47.680 Life is hard. That's what the book of Hebrews 00:25:47.680 --> 00:25:49.859 is all about. Man, life is hard. They want to 00:25:49.859 --> 00:25:52.039 go back to Judaism. He said, don't do that. And 00:25:52.039 --> 00:25:55.759 here's what he said. We must, through many tribulations, 00:25:55.799 --> 00:25:59.960 enter the kingdom of God. Through many tribulations. 00:26:00.079 --> 00:26:02.779 You know what the word tribulations is? Flipsis. 00:26:03.420 --> 00:26:06.039 The same word you saw in Matthew 7 about difficult. 00:26:06.480 --> 00:26:08.680 Through many trials, through many difficulties, 00:26:08.859 --> 00:26:12.640 the disciple will enter into the kingdom. The 00:26:12.640 --> 00:26:14.839 road of a disciple is not for the faint of heart, 00:26:14.900 --> 00:26:18.380 friends. Our Lord has never promised it. He never 00:26:18.380 --> 00:26:20.519 said you will have your best life now. He never 00:26:20.519 --> 00:26:22.920 promised you an easy journey. Not once. In Luke 00:26:22.920 --> 00:26:25.680 chapter 14 verse 26. He says if anyone comes 00:26:25.680 --> 00:26:28.240 to me. And does not hate father and mother. Wife 00:26:28.240 --> 00:26:29.940 and children. Brothers and sisters in his own 00:26:29.940 --> 00:26:33.319 life also. He cannot be my disciple. Verse 27. 00:26:33.480 --> 00:26:35.420 Whoever does not bear his cross and come after 00:26:35.420 --> 00:26:38.559 me. He cannot be my disciple. Verse 33. So likewise 00:26:38.559 --> 00:26:41.119 whoever of you does not forsake all that he has. 00:26:43.819 --> 00:26:48.180 Cannot be my disciple. And we pray. Pray with 00:26:48.180 --> 00:26:51.779 me. See, this way, friends, it's difficult. It's 00:26:51.779 --> 00:26:57.039 not attractive. But for those whose eyes have 00:26:57.039 --> 00:26:59.019 been opened by the Holy Spirit to see the glory 00:26:59.019 --> 00:27:02.559 of Christ, the way is compelling. I've got to 00:27:02.559 --> 00:27:05.299 go that way. It's not attractive. It doesn't 00:27:05.299 --> 00:27:08.339 look good. But that's the road I've got to take. 00:27:08.840 --> 00:27:10.640 This is what Peter confessed, and I've been reading 00:27:10.640 --> 00:27:11.859 a lot of scriptures, which I don't typically 00:27:11.859 --> 00:27:14.039 do, but I love what Peter confessed. Do you remember 00:27:14.039 --> 00:27:16.359 in John 6, Jesus preached a hard message about 00:27:16.359 --> 00:27:17.799 you have to eat his flesh and drink his blood, 00:27:17.940 --> 00:27:20.240 and many people walked away from him, beginning 00:27:20.240 --> 00:27:23.859 in verse 65. Jesus then says, hey, therefore 00:27:23.859 --> 00:27:26.940 I've said to you that no one can come to me unless 00:27:26.940 --> 00:27:30.160 it's been granted to him by my Father. From that 00:27:30.160 --> 00:27:32.319 time, many of his disciples went back and walked 00:27:32.319 --> 00:27:33.779 no more with him. They didn't like what Jesus 00:27:33.779 --> 00:27:38.059 was saying. Verse 67. Then he looks at the 12. 00:27:38.099 --> 00:27:40.720 Do you also want to go away? Because I'm not 00:27:40.720 --> 00:27:44.180 changing the message. Simon Peter answered him, 00:27:44.299 --> 00:27:50.119 I love this. Lord, to whom shall we go? You have 00:27:50.119 --> 00:27:53.619 the words of eternal life. Also, we have come 00:27:53.619 --> 00:27:56.039 to believe and know that you are the Christ, 00:27:56.240 --> 00:27:59.920 the son of the living God. Do you see what Peter 00:27:59.920 --> 00:28:03.369 was saying? Once you see Christ as Lord, once 00:28:03.369 --> 00:28:06.069 you see him as glorious, you know there is nowhere 00:28:06.069 --> 00:28:08.750 else to turn. That way may be difficult, that 00:28:08.750 --> 00:28:10.930 way may be hard, but it is compelling because 00:28:10.930 --> 00:28:14.029 Jesus Christ alone has the words of life. I will 00:28:14.029 --> 00:28:17.109 follow that road. Nominal Christians, Christians 00:28:17.109 --> 00:28:19.529 in name only, they will walk on the narrow road 00:28:19.529 --> 00:28:22.009 for just so long because when it really starts 00:28:22.009 --> 00:28:24.230 to squeeze them in, when it really gets hard, 00:28:24.430 --> 00:28:26.329 they're going to forsake the narrow way. That's 00:28:26.329 --> 00:28:29.769 John 6. They turned around. They want an easier 00:28:29.769 --> 00:28:33.500 life. I can't do this anymore. In Hebrews 10, 00:28:33.579 --> 00:28:36.140 they lost homes and lost lands, and it said they 00:28:36.140 --> 00:28:38.220 accepted it joyfully, knowing that in heaven 00:28:38.220 --> 00:28:42.200 they had a better and enduring possession. Warren 00:28:42.200 --> 00:28:45.319 Wiersbe said, many people who trust Jesus Christ, 00:28:45.599 --> 00:28:48.779 supposedly trust, no, that's in quotes, they 00:28:48.779 --> 00:28:50.960 never leave the broad road with its appetites 00:28:50.960 --> 00:28:53.619 and associations. They have an easy Christianity 00:28:53.619 --> 00:28:56.779 that makes no demands on them. That's not Christianity. 00:28:58.000 --> 00:29:00.759 Jesus said the narrow way was hard. You cannot 00:29:00.759 --> 00:29:02.500 walk on two roads in two different directions 00:29:02.500 --> 00:29:05.079 at the very same time. You don't get Jesus in 00:29:05.079 --> 00:29:07.839 the world, folks. John MacArthur says we can 00:29:07.839 --> 00:29:10.539 pay nothing for salvation, amen, yet coming to 00:29:10.539 --> 00:29:12.700 Jesus Christ costs everything we have, amen. 00:29:13.259 --> 00:29:16.339 Two truths at the same time. Two gates, they 00:29:16.339 --> 00:29:18.160 lead to two roads and they arrive at two different 00:29:18.160 --> 00:29:21.779 destinations. That broad gate with a wide gate, 00:29:21.920 --> 00:29:24.019 with a wide road leads to destruction. And by 00:29:24.019 --> 00:29:26.279 the way, the destruction is, it's eternal damnation. 00:29:26.819 --> 00:29:29.990 We're talking hell. It looks easy. It looks attractive. 00:29:31.710 --> 00:29:33.549 There's a way that looks attractive to man, isn't 00:29:33.549 --> 00:29:35.869 there? It's not marked. By the way, it's not 00:29:35.869 --> 00:29:39.670 marked with a sign that says, road to hell. No 00:29:39.670 --> 00:29:42.150 one would enter that. In fact, I believe it probably 00:29:42.150 --> 00:29:44.150 has a sign out there saying, highway to heaven. 00:29:45.170 --> 00:29:46.910 Because that's what the deceiver does. That's 00:29:46.910 --> 00:29:49.829 what Satan does. There is a way that seems right 00:29:49.829 --> 00:29:52.569 to a man, Proverbs 14, 12, but the in thereof 00:29:52.569 --> 00:29:55.670 are the ways of death. You cannot trust your 00:29:55.670 --> 00:29:59.890 eyes. It looks right. It says it's right. And 00:29:59.890 --> 00:30:01.690 Jesus said, you go down that road, friend, you 00:30:01.690 --> 00:30:05.029 will be separated from God forever. Why? Why? 00:30:06.009 --> 00:30:09.730 Because it bypasses the cross of Christ. And 00:30:09.730 --> 00:30:11.450 that's the only way to be reconciled with God. 00:30:12.549 --> 00:30:16.009 There's a narrow gate, difficult way, leading 00:30:16.009 --> 00:30:20.230 to life. Why? Because it takes you to Christ. 00:30:20.869 --> 00:30:26.200 1 John 5, 12. He who has the Son has life. And 00:30:26.200 --> 00:30:28.000 whoever it be who does not have the Son of God 00:30:28.000 --> 00:30:31.960 does not have life. Could anything be clearer? 00:30:32.460 --> 00:30:35.460 Do we need to exegete that verse? You know what 00:30:35.460 --> 00:30:38.440 it means in Greek? Whoever has the Son has life. 00:30:39.079 --> 00:30:41.500 Whoever does not have the Son does not have life. 00:30:42.880 --> 00:30:47.319 It is marked with pain, suffering. It's difficult. 00:30:48.519 --> 00:30:51.180 But it ends in eternal life. We're not earning 00:30:51.180 --> 00:30:53.519 heaven because we suffer. We're not earning heaven 00:30:53.519 --> 00:30:55.839 because we suffer tribulation. Rather, it is 00:30:55.839 --> 00:30:58.380 the way of the cross. He said, friends, if they 00:30:58.380 --> 00:31:01.599 persecuted me, they will also persecute you. 00:31:01.900 --> 00:31:04.559 You're not greater than your Lord. If they hated 00:31:04.559 --> 00:31:08.940 me, they will hate you. But it is God's grace 00:31:08.940 --> 00:31:11.299 that causes us to want to enter into that narrow 00:31:11.299 --> 00:31:15.579 gate and travel the difficult way. Two gates, 00:31:15.799 --> 00:31:17.819 two roads, two destinations, and lastly, two 00:31:17.819 --> 00:31:20.319 groups of people. You have the many and the few. 00:31:21.960 --> 00:31:23.859 Many who heard Jesus preach that day. Can you 00:31:23.859 --> 00:31:25.519 imagine the incredible opportunity hearing the 00:31:25.519 --> 00:31:28.119 Son of God preach? The greatest preacher, the 00:31:28.119 --> 00:31:31.400 greatest sermon, and yet they decided to stay 00:31:31.400 --> 00:31:34.259 on that broad road. They're going to be shut 00:31:34.259 --> 00:31:38.039 out of the kingdom. Only a few would enter the 00:31:38.039 --> 00:31:40.500 kingdom. Now what's interesting, this is what 00:31:40.500 --> 00:31:42.140 I had never seen before until this past week. 00:31:42.779 --> 00:31:44.220 I always thought, well this is just referring 00:31:44.220 --> 00:31:46.359 to all mankind. It has an application there, 00:31:46.400 --> 00:31:49.549 but that's not the context. He says many Jews 00:31:49.549 --> 00:31:51.430 are going to be shut out. Few are going to be 00:31:51.430 --> 00:31:53.349 brought in, right? But if you turn the chapter, 00:31:53.450 --> 00:31:56.410 turn page one over, chapter 8, Jesus is speaking 00:31:56.410 --> 00:31:58.690 again about the heaven. In chapter 8, notice 00:31:58.690 --> 00:32:02.829 what he says. Many Gentiles will enter the kingdom. 00:32:03.670 --> 00:32:05.150 Now, friends, let me just say, by the way, if 00:32:05.150 --> 00:32:07.529 you're a Jew and you hear that, Jesus, a Jew, 00:32:07.630 --> 00:32:09.269 preaching to Jews, says many of you aren't going 00:32:09.269 --> 00:32:11.069 to enter the kingdom, and many of them will. 00:32:11.190 --> 00:32:13.349 They're shocked. They're scandalized. They're 00:32:13.349 --> 00:32:16.390 offended. But look at chapter 8, verse 11. He 00:32:16.390 --> 00:32:18.390 says, I say to you, many will come from east 00:32:18.390 --> 00:32:20.569 and west, that's Gentiles, and they will sit 00:32:20.569 --> 00:32:22.809 down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom 00:32:22.809 --> 00:32:26.890 of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom, the Jews, 00:32:27.069 --> 00:32:29.430 they're going to be cast out into outer darkness. 00:32:29.509 --> 00:32:31.009 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 00:32:33.089 --> 00:32:37.450 Look at Matthew 21. I say to you, Jesus said, 00:32:37.609 --> 00:32:40.789 have you never read in the scriptures, the stone 00:32:40.789 --> 00:32:42.930 which the builders rejected has become the chief 00:32:42.930 --> 00:32:46.410 cornerstone? This is what the Lord's doing. It's 00:32:46.410 --> 00:32:48.690 marvelous in our eyes. Therefore, I say to you, 00:32:49.529 --> 00:32:52.509 man, these are haunting words. The kingdom of 00:32:52.509 --> 00:32:56.950 God will be taken from you, Jews, and given to 00:32:56.950 --> 00:32:59.769 a nation bearing the fruits of it. That nation 00:32:59.769 --> 00:33:02.390 bearing the fruits are the Gentile people. And 00:33:02.390 --> 00:33:04.289 then Paul in Romans 11 said, hey, Gentiles, don't 00:33:04.289 --> 00:33:06.829 get haughty, don't brag, don't become presumptuous, 00:33:06.869 --> 00:33:08.970 because the only reason you've been brought in 00:33:08.970 --> 00:33:10.809 is because Jewish unbelief, and it's the grace 00:33:10.809 --> 00:33:14.519 of God at work in your life. Most Jews rejecting 00:33:14.519 --> 00:33:17.099 Christ, persecuting those who followed him. That's 00:33:17.099 --> 00:33:20.700 what they did. Persecuting him. They were deceived. 00:33:22.079 --> 00:33:25.720 Nothing worse. Deceived, thinking the road they're 00:33:25.720 --> 00:33:27.940 on will lead to God and the road they're on led 00:33:27.940 --> 00:33:31.960 to hell. Narrow is the gate and difficult is 00:33:31.960 --> 00:33:33.440 the way which leads to life and there are few 00:33:33.440 --> 00:33:36.940 who find it. There were few. There was a remnant. 00:33:37.579 --> 00:33:40.740 A remnant of grace. That small percentage of 00:33:40.740 --> 00:33:45.609 Jews who confessed Christ as Lord. Many, many 00:33:45.609 --> 00:33:50.329 heard Jesus. Few received him. Many are called, 00:33:50.490 --> 00:33:55.190 Jesus said. Few are chosen. But there's good 00:33:55.190 --> 00:34:00.970 news today. The narrow gate still stands. It's 00:34:00.970 --> 00:34:04.170 still just as narrow as ever. But it's open to 00:34:04.170 --> 00:34:07.329 anyone who would enter. See, they felt, the Jews 00:34:07.329 --> 00:34:08.710 felt they were already on the road to salvation. 00:34:09.909 --> 00:34:11.449 It's really no different in our day, though. 00:34:12.619 --> 00:34:16.420 Most people, if they live in our nation, particularly 00:34:16.420 --> 00:34:19.360 Lawrence County, Ohio, they believe they're saved. 00:34:20.599 --> 00:34:24.300 And most people take his teachings lightly. There's 00:34:24.300 --> 00:34:26.000 no fruit of repentance. There's no fruit of obedience. 00:34:26.860 --> 00:34:28.719 Here in a few weeks after Easter, we'll look 00:34:28.719 --> 00:34:31.059 at these verses. You can just look down a few 00:34:31.059 --> 00:34:34.800 verses later, verse 26 of Matthew 7. Jesus, not 00:34:34.800 --> 00:34:37.179 Ryan. He said, everyone who hears these things 00:34:37.179 --> 00:34:40.659 of mine, let's not do them. He will be like a 00:34:40.659 --> 00:34:43.079 foolish man. Who built his house on the sand 00:34:43.079 --> 00:34:46.059 and the rains descended and the floods came and 00:34:46.059 --> 00:34:48.460 we're familiar with that. And the winds blew 00:34:48.460 --> 00:34:53.940 and beat on that house and it fell. And great 00:34:53.940 --> 00:34:59.199 was its fall. The narrow gate, still very narrow. 00:34:59.920 --> 00:35:05.119 It's only through Jesus Christ. The way after 00:35:05.119 --> 00:35:08.420 you enter the gate is still difficult. But it's 00:35:08.420 --> 00:35:12.010 compelling because it ends in life. Do you believe 00:35:12.010 --> 00:35:17.030 that? Do you believe that? Revelation 22, 17, 00:35:17.210 --> 00:35:20.710 the word of God ends with an invitation. Come. 00:35:21.210 --> 00:35:26.389 Come. Let him who hears say come. If you're thirsty, 00:35:26.590 --> 00:35:32.949 come. Whoever desires, let him come and take 00:35:32.949 --> 00:35:35.989 the waters of life freely. There's salvation. 00:35:37.369 --> 00:35:40.630 It's offered to you. But you've got to get there 00:35:40.630 --> 00:35:42.869 through a narrow gate in a difficult way. Two 00:35:42.869 --> 00:35:45.289 roads, two gates, two different destinations. 00:35:45.489 --> 00:35:49.409 So the question is, which road are you on? Jim 00:35:49.409 --> 00:35:50.750 Boy said this, and I thought it was too good 00:35:50.750 --> 00:35:54.250 to leave it out, and I close with this. If you 00:35:54.250 --> 00:35:57.630 are not on the way to Christ, then you are on 00:35:57.630 --> 00:36:01.869 the way from him. No neutrality. Thus, you will 00:36:01.869 --> 00:36:04.739 either come finally, To a perfect salvation by 00:36:04.739 --> 00:36:07.139 the grace of God through the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:36:07.260 --> 00:36:13.920 Amen? You get to come to that. Or, you'll come 00:36:13.920 --> 00:36:18.179 to the lake of fire without him. That is the 00:36:18.179 --> 00:36:22.280 heart of Christ's warning in this passage. Friends, 00:36:22.320 --> 00:36:26.500 don't delay. Don't be the foolish man. Don't 00:36:26.500 --> 00:36:28.780 be the one who is not earnest about your salvation. 00:36:29.920 --> 00:36:33.489 Today, Today, if the Holy Spirit has shown you 00:36:33.489 --> 00:36:35.690 that you are a sinner and you know that you're 00:36:35.690 --> 00:36:37.309 bankrupt spiritually, you don't have anything 00:36:37.309 --> 00:36:40.309 to offer God, come and drink. There's the water 00:36:40.309 --> 00:36:43.489 of life and it's free. Call upon him now. For 00:36:43.489 --> 00:36:46.829 whoever does call upon him will be saved. If 00:36:46.829 --> 00:36:48.289 you'd like to know more about what it means to 00:36:48.289 --> 00:36:50.250 follow Christ, friends, I'm after the service. 00:36:50.309 --> 00:36:52.030 I'm here. I'd love to sit down and talk to you. 00:36:52.869 --> 00:36:55.949 Don't delay. Two roads, two different destinations. 00:36:56.889 --> 00:37:00.199 The choice is put before you. Let's pray. Heavenly 00:37:00.199 --> 00:37:02.219 Father, we thank you this morning, Lord, for 00:37:02.219 --> 00:37:05.920 your word. Lord, it speaks to us. It feeds us. 00:37:05.960 --> 00:37:09.880 Lord, it gives us sustenance for our soul. And 00:37:09.880 --> 00:37:12.599 Lord, God, we don't want to assume, Lord. Let 00:37:12.599 --> 00:37:15.460 us be in earnest. Lord, in Luke 14, it says, 00:37:15.480 --> 00:37:19.559 strive to enter at the narrow gate. Agonize. 00:37:20.340 --> 00:37:22.519 Lord, I pray that your spirit would work in the 00:37:22.519 --> 00:37:24.599 heart of those who might be lost. Lord, they 00:37:24.599 --> 00:37:26.840 could be religious, but they might be lost, that, 00:37:26.900 --> 00:37:28.500 Lord, they would understand there is nothing 00:37:28.500 --> 00:37:31.139 in them. They can offer you nothing, but, Lord, 00:37:31.159 --> 00:37:34.860 there is a very wonderful salvation, full blessing 00:37:34.860 --> 00:37:36.699 that is available to them if they will come to 00:37:36.699 --> 00:37:39.360 Christ. Lord, lay down their own righteousness 00:37:39.360 --> 00:37:42.539 and accept the gift that is yours, that you offer 00:37:42.539 --> 00:37:45.340 to them in Christ. Oh God, have mercy this morning. 00:37:45.460 --> 00:37:47.239 And Lord, I pray for your church, your people 00:37:47.239 --> 00:37:49.460 who have been redeemed through your son. Lord, 00:37:49.500 --> 00:37:52.059 let us today, Lord, as we renew the covenant 00:37:52.059 --> 00:37:55.079 in communion, let us rejoice in the promises 00:37:55.079 --> 00:37:57.500 you have made in Christ. Lord, it's not by works 00:37:57.500 --> 00:37:59.679 which we have done. Lord, nothing in our hands 00:37:59.679 --> 00:38:03.199 we bring. Simply to the cross we cling. Lord, 00:38:03.219 --> 00:38:07.119 we boast in Jesus. He is our everything, our 00:38:07.119 --> 00:38:08.940 redemption, our salvation, our justification, 00:38:09.280 --> 00:38:11.440 our sanctification, and ultimately our glorification. 00:38:11.840 --> 00:38:14.019 Lord, our hope is in him this morning. Thank 00:38:14.019 --> 00:38:15.940 you for being so good and merciful to us, Father. 00:38:16.099 --> 00:38:18.139 And Lord, I pray now that, God, that you continue 00:38:18.139 --> 00:38:20.219 to bless and build your church. And Lord, let 00:38:20.219 --> 00:38:22.460 us be salt and light to those around us. We pray 00:38:22.460 --> 00:38:26.260 this in Jesus' name. Amen. This morning, we have 00:38:26.260 --> 00:38:28.340 the incredible privilege of celebrating both 00:38:28.340 --> 00:38:30.780 ordinances and or sacraments, however you'd like 00:38:30.780 --> 00:38:31.239 to call them.