MATTHEW 7:13-14
FACING REALITY
#22 – SERMON ON THE MOUNT
A brand new army second lieutenant, right out of officers’ training school, was assigned to an army post and a brand new office. As he sat there for the first time, he was quite impressed with his own importance.
Just then, the officer heard someone coming. Wanting to be impressive he picked up his phone as the person walked in and said, “Yes Colonel, it’s good to talk to you. Thank you for the compliments. Oh, there is someone here, I must go.”
Then he said to the man who walked in, “How may I help you.”
The young soldier replied, “I’m with the communications company, I’m here to connect your phone.”
At that moment, that young officer faced reality.
Everyone faces reality from time to time in their lives.
A graduate leaves home and sets up housekeeping for the first time and faces the reality of the high cost of living.
A loved one dies, and we face the reality that life is short, and nobody lives forever, even the ones we love the most.
Sometimes a struggling business faces the reality of bankruptcy.
Sometimes a guy or girl in love faces the reality that the one they love is ditching them for someone else.
On a positive note, someone will do something nice for us, and we face the reality that we are loved.
Or, we are so impressed with the beauties of nature that we face the reality that there has to be a creator.
When we read the Bible or when the Bible is preached to us, we are facing reality.
We are facing reality because the Word of God is inspired.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 - All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: [17] That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
We are facing reality because the Word of God is true.
We are facing reality because the Word of God is to be obeyed.
John 14:21 - He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
There are some Scriptures that really grab us and cause us to really face reality because the truths they teach are so challenging and convicting. Two such verse that force us to face reality are found in Matthew 7 as Jesus begins his conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew 7:13-14 - Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: [14] Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
John MacArthur gives an outline in his commentary on Matthew that I feel sums up the reality of these verses.
THERE ARE TWO GATES
THERE ARE TWO WAYS
THERE ARE TWO DESTINATIONS
THERE ARE TWO GROUPS
THERE ARE TWO GATES
Consider first, that there is a wide gate.
A wide gate implies room to get through.
· You can come any way you want.
· You can bring in whatever you want.
· You can bring with you whoever you want.
If you want to bring the keeping of the Ten Commandments, you can bring those with you.
If you want to bring the golden rule as your means of salvation, you can bring that.
If you want to bring in baptism as your means of salvation you can bring that.
If you want to bring in your own good works as merit before God, by all means bring that!
If you want to enter with your own moral code, that’s fine!
If you want to bring the teachings of your favorite radio or television personality or the teachings of a particular denomination, that’s wonderful.
And because this is a wide gate, you can bring the teachings of your favorite teacher or religion.
How about the Mormons? Bring them in!
And the Jehovah’s Witnesses? Enter!
Christian Science is welcome as well as Buddha, Confucius, Mohammed, or even Son Yung Moon.
The gate is wide!
This is a broad gate! Everything and everybody is accepted!
Do I recommend you enter in at this gate? Noooooooooo
Jesus does not recommend that you enter in at this gate, even though He says that many will.
This gate is too wide!
It leaves room for all sorts of error.
And, as we’ll see later, it ends in destruction!
And you have friends, family, neighbors, fellow students, and fellow workers going through that big old wide gate!
They are headed for destruction.
Perhaps you are also going through that gate.
Now consider the narrow gate.
The strait or narrow gate is very restrictive.
It’s like going through a turnstile.
A turnstile is very restrictive. You can’t get much through a turnstile.
Do you remember a dance called the limbo?
The object of the limbo was to get under a stick without touching it or falling.
As the stick got lower and lower, it was harder and harder to get under.
When you do the limbo, it is impossible to carry anything or to bring another person with you. So it is with the narrow gate.
When we go through the narrow gate, there is only room for us! Everything and everybody is left behind. You come as you are.
What is the narrow gate?
The narrow gate is a person.
That person is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, God in the flesh.
The Lord Jesus knew that you would fail God by walking on the broad way of life. Jesus knew that all men were sinners.
Isaiah 64:6 - But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Knowing what He did about you, Jesus laid down his life for you! As the sinless Son of God He died in your place.
Romans 5:6-8 - For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. [7] For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. [8] But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
1 Peter 1:18-19 - Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; [19] But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
The Lord Jesus rose again the third day!
God accepted His sacrifice for our sins!
Jesus Christ already paid for your way to Heaven.
If He indeed has already paid the way for you to go to Heaven, and He has, THEN THE ONLY WAY TO ENTER HEAVEN IS THROUGH HIM!
My, my, my, that’s narrow!
Was Jesus really that narrow? Were the apostles really that narrow?
John 14:6 - Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
John 10:9 - I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
Acts 4:12 - Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
No other name will save you!
The name of Jehovah’s Witness or Mormon will not save you.
The name of Buddha or Confucius will not save you.
Let me get personal.
The name Baptist will not save you.
The name Bible Church will not save you.
The name Catholic will not save you, nor will Episcopalian, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist, or United Churches of Christ.
Your own name will not save you.
Your own name keeping the Ten Commandments
Your own name doing good works
Your own name being baptized – None of these will save you!
The only gate to salvation is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. And Jesus tells us to leave all the excess baggage outside, just come as you are!
That’s what the Apostle Paul did.
If anyone could have entered Heaven by being good, or being religious it was Him. But He couldn’t do it either.
Philippians 3:4-9 - Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: [5] Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; [6] Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. [7] But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. [8] Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, [9] And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
“Miss Charlotte Elliott was visiting some friends in the West End of London, and there met the eminent minister, Cesar Malan. While seated at supper, the minister said he hoped that she was a Christian. She took offense at this, and replied that she would rather not discuss that question. Dr. Malan said that he was sorry if had offended her, that he always liked to speak a word for his Master, and that he hoped that the young lady would some day become a worker for Christ. When they met again at the home of a mutual friend, three weeks later, Miss Elliott told the minister that ever since he had spoken to her she had been trying to find her Saviour, and that she now wished him to tell her how to come to Christ. “Just come to him as you are,” Dr. Malan said. This she did, and went away rejoicing. Shortly afterward she wrote this hymn. My Life and the Story of the Gospel Hymns, by Ira D. Sankey (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Sunday School Times Company, 1907), p. 186 http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/j/u/justasam.htm
Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Now face reality. The only way to get to Heaven is through faith in Jesus Christ. If you have come that way, Praise the Lord! If you have not, you should come this morning.
If you have already come to Christ, face another reality.
Anyone of your friends, relatives, work or school associates how have not come through the narrow gate of Christ are in trouble. They are going through the wide gate of destruction.
THERE ARE TWO GATES
THERE ARE TWO WAYS
There’s logic here.
The wide gate leads to a broad way.
The narrow gate leads to a narrow way.
The wide gate which allows anybody to drag in anything leads to a super-highway lifestyle. And you find all sorts of vehicles going all sorts of speeds on a super highway.
On the super highway you will find those who fast and those who indulge.
You’ll those who attend church regularly, and those who miss church regularly.
You’ll find those who practice all sorts of immorality, and those who are very moral people.
You’ll find every type of lifestyle under the sun, except one.
The one type of lifestyle you won’t find is the one that went through the other gate, the narrow gate.
The narrow gate seems very restrictive.
The narrow or “hard way” implies limitations on what we can or can not do.
The narrow way implies struggles and difficulties.
The narrow way implies sacrifice.
A hard and narrow way implies that I can’t make many, if any of my own choices.
A hard and narrow way is exactly what Jesus is describing in the Sermon on the Mount. It is the true Christian Life for the person who has entered in to Heaven through Christ.
You might ask, “Why is God so restrictive?”
God is so restrictive because He loves you!
God is so restrictive because He knows what is best for you!
Some special things happen the moment you trust Christ as your only way to Heaven and are “born again”.
Because you are “born again” a new birth takes place. You are born into a new family, the family of God.
Being born into an earthly family means you inherit some of the characteristics of you parents.
Being born into God’s family means that you receive some of the same characteristics as your Heavenly Father.
You have some of the same characteristics as your Heavenly
Father, because the moment you trusted Christ came to live inside of you!
Romans 8:9 - But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
With the help of God’s Holy Spirit, God expects us to be more like Him that we are like the people taking the broad way.
1 Peter 1:15-16 - But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; [16] Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
People get the mistaken idea that once they are “saved” they continue to live any way they please. But someone who is truly born again will not want to live the way they used to live.
2 Corinthians 5:17- Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Because of the change Christ has made in us we will want to walk the narrow way.
THERE ARE TWO GATES
THERE ARE TWO WAYS
THERE ARE TWO DESTINATIONS
If I head down Route 28 I will end up in Pittsburgh.
If I head out Route 422 I will end up in Indiana.
If I take the wide gate and the wide way I will end up in Hell.
If I take the narrow gate and the narrow way, I will end up in Heaven.
How do I know this? Jesus said so!
John 3:16-18 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. [17] For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. [18] He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
THERE ARE TWO GROUPS
There are the many who go their own way because they like their own way, because they are ignorant. The many are those destined for hell.
Then there are the few.
The few who have accepted Jesus’ way to Heaven
The few who realize that the narrow lifestyle in Christ is the happy lifestyle
The few who have discovered true peace and freedom
I have two questions.
Which gate and way are you following?
Which gate and way are your friends and loved ones following?
Face reality. Be honest.
Then do something about it.
Trust Christ yourself and then do all you can to bring the ones you love to Jesus.
THERE ARE TWO GATES
THERE ARE TWO WAYS
THERE ARE TWO DESTINATIONS
THERE ARE TWO GROUPS