Our Father, we ask that you would now come to us.
Through your spirit. And through the sun, we pray
come Lord, Jesus. We know that it is often that we
find ourselves. Even on the Lord's Day.
Distracted. Sometimes weighed down by sin.
Other times full of doubts and questions.
And so we pray that you would meet us here.
And as we hear your word, And as Lord Christ, we hear your sermon
once again. Did you would set our feet
firmly? On the way of the cross.
And that you, by the power of the Holy Spirit would lead us
through the narrow gate. And help us to see the life and
joy that's on the other side. Meet us here.
Now we pray in Jesus name. Amen.
Would you please stand for a reading of God's word?
We're continuing our series Through The Sermon on the Mount.
This morning, I'll be reading from Matthew, Matthew chapter 7,
beginning with verse 13. These are Jesus's words for us.
This morning. Jesus said, enter by the narrow
gate for the gate is wide. And the way is easy, that leads
to destruction and those who enter by it are many For the
gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life and
those who find it are few. This is the word of the Lord.
You may be seated. Now, today one of the most
common critiques against Christianity.
And our pluralist society is the exclusivity of Jesus.
People will often ask isn't it? Narrow to believe that
Christianity is the only true religion.
Perhaps, you've asked that same question yourself.
Others will ask how can Christians say that Jesus
Christ? Is the only way to Salvation.
Isn't that hateful isn't that bigoted?
Author of Paulo Coelho wrote The Alchemist.
Among many other works wrote that all religions lead to the
same God. And they all deserve the same
respect. And similar fashion Gandhi, once
said that the different religions are beautiful flowers
from the same Garden. Or they are branches of the same
Majestic tree. Therefore, they are equally
true. I think these two sentiments
help capture what people often believe in our pluralistic age,
that all of these different ways of believing, all of these
different ways of religion. All of these different truths
have to be grasping at the same thing, right?
The question, I want to ask this morning is, can that really be
possible? Are religions really all the
same. Can they be equally true?
This morning The Sermon on the Mount.
Jesus shows us that Christianity is unlike any other religion in
the world. It is completely unique and what
it teaches and what it offers and he shows us the uniqueness
of the Gospel when he invites us to enter by the narrow gate.
And in fact, he shows us this gate is so narrow.
That it is the only way to life And this morning, I want to show
you why that is actually good news.
So this morning, I just have two points.
The first is this Jesus tells us there are two ways.
I want you to look with me. Matthew 7 verse 13.
Jesus said, enter by the narrow gate for the gate is wide, the
way is easy that leads to destruction and those who enter
by it are many and then he also said for the gate is narrow and
the way is hard that leads to life and those who find it are
few. So first, what I want you to
consider is that Jesus says there are two ways to Ways to
Live. There's the hard way and the
easy way we still use this language today Which way do you
want? You want the hard way or the
easy way? Exactly, everybody wants the
easy way. It's meant to be a very simple
question with an answer that seems obvious to us.
And yet Jesus is using it as a warning.
To say. Not so fast.
Because the way that seems easy. Leads to death.
Wait, it's hard as the one that leads to life.
This way of thinking actually goes all the way back to the Old
Testament throughout the Bible. This idea of two Paths of Life
summing up all of human existence really 22, different,
and opposite paths is nothing new.
Jesus is building on this tradition, Jeremiah 21:8.
The prophet says, thus says, the Lord behold I set before you the
way of life, and the way of death to Current ways to live
one leads to life, the other leads to death.
Psalm 1 the psalter, the Psalms itself, they begin with this
idea of two paths. The psalmist says, blessed is
the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked nor stands
in the way of Sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers verse 6.
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous but the Way of the
Wicked Will perish, there are two ways to pass one of the way
of Sinners that leads to death. The other is the way of
righteousness, leads to life and here Jesus in the sermon amount
of building on that idea, and he was saying, don't move.
So. Fast into the easy way.
The easy way is going to seem like the way you should go, but
it's actually the way that leads to destruction.
It's the hard way. The hard path that leads to
life. So, what are these ways actually
look like? What is the easy way?
And what's the hard way? Well, I think Jesus has been
teaching us about the hard way throughout the Sermon on the
Mount. If you go back to the very
beginning, I think he's talking about the hard way when he's
teaching us to be attitudes. This is the hard way.
The more difficult way the way that seems so counterintuitive
to us. It's this way that Jesus flips
on its head and says this is the way to life.
I want you to listen to the hard way.
Matthew 5 verse 3. Jesus is the hard way.
Looks like this blessed are the poor in spirit.
For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn for they will be?
Comforted. Blessed, are the meek for they
will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and
thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive Mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see.
God blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of
God. Blessed are those who are
persecuted for righteousness sake?
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Ian. I Think Jesus is describing the
hard way that leads to life. It's hard because it's the way
of humility. The way of self-sacrifice the
way of suffering. It's hard.
Because Jesus is inviting us into the way of the cross.
This Is The cruciform Life and this is what makes The Sermon on
the Mount. So radical and so challenging
for us because we hear that and we say well who wants to go down
that way? If we're honest.
Who wants to take that path? The path of suffering, the path
of sacrifice, the path of dependents.
To answer that question. We have to consider the easy
way. What does Jesus mean by the easy
way? I think, one of the best ways
that I explained the easy way to you.
Is to read, not the Beatitudes to you.
But I want you to listen for just a second.
As I give you the anti Beatitudes.
This is the easy way. Blessed are the proud and the
Arrogant for they will build their own little kingdoms.
Blessed are the avoidant and the apathetic for they will strive
to make themselves. Comfortable blessed are the
powerful for they won. Hear it everything that they can
control. Blessed are the self-righteous
for they will learn to look better than everyone else around
them. Blessed are the vengeful and the
vindictive for they shall win at all costs.
Blessed are the lustful and the self-indulgent for they shall
see their Idols as more and more captivating.
Blessed are the divisive and the quarrelsome for they shall be
called sons of their own tribes. Blessed, are those who are
celebrated for being self-righteous.
For theirs is the kingdom of men and blessed.
Are you and others compliment you, and celebrate, you and
utter all kinds of praise for you on your account.
Don't worry, be happy for your reward is great on Earth.
And for so they praised every passing culture, every Fallen
Nation, every collapsed, government every disbanded
political party, every empty philosophy, every false religion
and every disproven scientific and social theory that has gone
before you my friends, that is the easy way.
And it is enticing to us. Each and every day, we are lured
to go down the easy path. And Jesus is saying stop.
Not so fast. The easy way seems like the way
to go but it leads to death. That leads to destruction.
It leads to Eternity separated from God.
It's the hard way the way of suffering and self-sacrifice the
way of the cross that leads to life.
How can we go down that path? The answer is, we can't.
And this is why Jesus said in the Gospel of John, I am the
way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father,
except through me. It's as much a statement about
the exclusivity of Jesus as it is about our inability.
When Jesus says that no one comes to the father, except
through him, he's saying that no one can come to the father.
We don't have the ability no one.
None of us can do it on our own, but thanks be to God.
That Jesus is the way. The only way, the only one who's
walked down the hard way in front of us.
And he has forged a path all the way to the cross.
Author of Hebrews calls him, the Arca Goss, the Trailblazer the
author and Perfecter of our faith, the one who was gone
before us, And now he is calling us to follow him on the hard way
to life. So this morning as you hear that
you should say well why would I want to do that?
And how could I even do that? How can I even follow Jesus on
the hard way? Maybe you're feeling that this
morning. If you've been walking with
Jesus, for a long time or you're considering Christianity was a
well, who can follow Jesus to the cross, That's why Jesus
before he calls us to walk down the hard way he says, enter by
the narrow gate. So second thing I want you to
know Jesus, not only says, there are two ways, he says there are
two gates, one is the wide gate, the other is the narrow gate.
I want you to listen again, what Jesus says Jesus says, enter by
the narrow gate for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that
leads to destruction and the gate is narrow.
And the way is hard that leads to life.
And the same way that Jesus is challenging Us by saying the
hard way leads to life and the easy way leads to destruction.
His words here, talking about narrow and wide are meant to be
provocative. They're meant to challenge us
when he says, enter by the narrow gate, not the wide gate.
Wait, it's meant to cause us some pause.
You see? Because in the ancient world,
the idea of narrowing this wasn't necessarily a good thing.
Just like it's really not a good thing today.
As you think of the word narrow, you think of constrictive?
You think of difficulty, in fact, it's so narrow.
That later in the gospel of Matthew, Jesus compares, the
narrow gate to the eye of a needle.
It's that small. That's that narrow.
Jesus is challenging us with the absolute narrowness of the
Gospel. But I want you to see this
morning, he's also showing us why the narrowness of the Gospel
is good news. Why would Jesus call us to enter
by the narrow gate? To answer that question.
We have to first understand what he means by the wide gate.
Look what he says about the wide gate, the end of verse 13.
He says the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to
destruction and notice what he says next.
And those who enter by it are many.
The gate is wide and many come to it.
There is not a better description of our pluralistic
society. Pluralism is a wide gate.
What do I mean by that Leslie? New begin was a British
Theologian Missy ologist. One of my favorite books ever
wrote. It's called The Gospel and a
pluralist society, I want you to listen to what he says about
pluralism. He says it's become commonplace
to say that we live in a pluralistic society, not merely
a society, which is in fact, plural and the variety of
cultures religions and Lifestyles which and Embraces
but pluralistic, in the sense that this plurality is
celebrated As a thing to be approved and cherished.
The most simple definition pluralism, is simply the
existence of lots of different ways of thinking and forms of
religion. It acknowledges that there are
lots of different religions out there, which there are almost
5,000, some estimates say, and that Beyond, even religion,
there's lots of different World Views in ways that you could
think about the world. Lots of different explanations
and philosophies. And pluralism says that these
all exist. Today's pluralism goes, goes
another step further. and it says not only do these differing
views exist, But they all coexist and they must be
celebrated as all pointing to the same thing.
Today, pluralism is not simply about diversity.
It's about celebrating. The diversity of religions as
being multiple paths to the same God and the same salvation.
So again a question we have to ask this morning is, is that
true? Is it even possible?
Because add its core. I think what Jesus would say to
us today is that pluralism is a wide gate.
And many try to infer through it.
But what I want you to see this morning, a reason why the narrow
gate is such good news. Is because the wide gate of
pluralism. Invites you to enter with these
impossible instructions enter by the wide gate and save yourself.
Enter by the wide gate and save yourself.
And you see this is what pluralism actually gets half,
right? Because every other religion
other than genuine Christianity. In the world today, every other
philosophy and way of thinking actually does have a very common
message. Save yourself.
Luke fairy French philosopher, put it this way in a brief
history of thought. He said the Quest for us
salvation without God as at the heart of every great
philosophical system. In other words, even apart from
religion today, if you say, I'm not a religious person, That's
actually a deeply theological statement.
And deep down you are on your own quest to self salvation,
just like everyone else. every other religion outside of
genuine, Christianity has the same message Buddhism, save
yourself through Enlightenment Hinduism, save yourself through
action, that knowledge devotion Islam, save yourself through
obedience and then there is of course the most popular man made
religion in the south cultural Christianity.
Which says save yourself. By knowing more and being better
than the people around you. Every one of these says, save
yourself. And it's an impossible task.
This is why the narrow gate is good news.
Because Jesus has made a way for us.
He has given us a narrow gate. Yes it is narrow.
Yes it is unique. In fact, it is the only one that
says not save yourself. But you've been given a savior.
not enter the wide gate and save yourself but Jesus is inviting
us to enter through the narrow gate because Jesus saves
Christianity is the only religion and the world that
doesn't ask us to claw our way to God through obedience or
knowledge or Enlightenment. But it's the only one that says
God came down to us for our Salvation.
The only one that says that it our savior God humbled himself
by going on the hard way. And he took the hard way, all
the way to the end to the cross. It's the only one that says that
our savior died a shameful and humiliating death.
He was punished for you and me and on the third day he rose
again. So that we would have life at
the end of the hard way of suffering.
Jesus is inviting us to enter the narrow gate.
Because the narrow gate is good news.
It's the only news that says salvation has been given to you.
Jesus, put it this way in the Gospel of John.
Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep all who
came before me are thieves and robbers, but the Sheep did not
listen to them. I am the door.
If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out
and find pasture. But I want you to hear this
morning is that Jesus is the narrow gate?
The gate that we are invited to enter into is so narrow.
It is fixed on a person, the person and work of Jesus.
And you say, well why did he do that for us?
Why is he open this narrow gate. So all who believe as he says
could enter by him, Because he loves us.
The wide gate. The wide gate promises salvation
that you could never achieve. And for that reason, it's
actually the most difficult. The hardest the most hateful.
And most exclusive. Way of Salvation that exists.
Because no one can do it. There is no one who can know
enough. No one who can obey enough and
no one who can be good enough. To be called worthy of
salvation. And more than that, the thing
that we never think about is that, even if you could try
there's always someone who's going to do better than you
ever. Think about that.
So how do you know you've made the cut?
Jesus is the narrow gate. Who is open the door wide for
all who it enter by him and him alone, and that makes the
exclusivity of Jesus. The most radically inclusive
message that has ever existed. Because no batter, what's in
struggle that you are bringing into the sanctuary this morning?
No matter. Whatever.
That is entangling you. No matter your background and
where you come from, Jesus is inviting you and me to enter by
the narrow gate. To come to the door and knock.
And he tells us that anyone who had enter by him would be saved.
Jesus is the narrow gate. Because he is the only one who
laid his life down and walked the hard path to the cross and
this morning, he is calling. He is inviting you and me to
enter by the narrow gate. And to once again follow him
down the hard path. The way of suffering, the way of
sacrifice, and the way of the cross.
That in his death and Resurrection, we would find
life. Let's pray.
Father we thank you for the grace and love that you have
given us an inviting us to enter by the narrow gate.
And now as we come to your table set before us, help us to see
why this narrow gate is such good news.
Because you have called anyone who had inter by you, to
Salvation. May we see in this Sacrament.
A tangible picture of that salvation this morning that is
all of us come forward and partake of this communion
together and we look around we would see that every kind of
background and every kind of story you have folded into the
hard path and the way of the cross.
But also help us to see if we partake of these elements and we
Feast on your body in your blood, help us to see that
you've walked this hard path before us, he died and he rose
again. So that we could have life and
we pray that you would eat and drink the joy of that life.
Abundantly now we ask this in Jesus name, amen.