1 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:09,200 We'll say just quick words to all you ladies that are 2 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:12,880 presents. I know that this day can be 3 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:17,080 filled with or it can just be a mixture of joy. 4 00:00:17,080 --> 00:00:19,960 All right, There's a lot of joy on Mother's Day. 5 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:24,200 There can be grief over ones who maybe you've lost your own 6 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:28,720 mother and you've lost a child, and there could be longing for 7 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:31,920 expectant mothers or mothers who really want to have a child or 8 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:33,640 young ladies who really want to have a child. 9 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:37,160 And so I want you to know that our hope for you is that 10 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:40,520 whatever your circumstances, that today would be a blessed 11 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:42,880 day of the Lord for you, all right, That the Lord would 12 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:44,680 comfort you, that he would be near to you. 13 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:47,960 He'd be gracious to you that he would fill you with all strength 14 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:51,200 and godliness today. And so God bless you this 15 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:52,800 Mother's Day. We love you. 16 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:55,560 We appreciate all of you very, very much. 17 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:57,920 So bad mind. Open your Bibles to Matthew 18 00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:00,600 Chapter 7. Matthew Chapter 7. 19 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:03,160 We'll be in verses 12 through 14 today. 20 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:06,320 If you have your worship guide, you can grab it and be ready to 21 00:01:06,320 --> 00:01:10,480 take some notes. It's not a three-point sermon 22 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:11,600 today. It's Mother's Day, so we had to 23 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:13,400 do something special. It's four points today. 24 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:16,320 All right. It's what everybody was hoping 25 00:01:16,320 --> 00:01:18,280 for. I know it. 26 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:22,160 All right, don't worry, you'll get to lunch on time. 27 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:27,880 Before we read our texts, I do want you to remember where we 28 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:30,960 are, right? Jesus is bringing the Sermon on 29 00:01:30,960 --> 00:01:35,480 the Mount to its conclusion. He's taught us throughout this 30 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:37,720 what life and his Kingdom looks like. 31 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:41,440 So as Kingdom citizens, we've seen what we should be like, 32 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:42,000 right? We should. 33 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:45,080 We've seen the kind of people we should expect to be, the kind of 34 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:46,960 people we should hope to be, strive to be. 35 00:01:46,960 --> 00:01:52,600 Trust Him to make us. He's exposed the hearts a lot 36 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:55,080 right now. He's corrected false 37 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:58,160 righteousness. He he's called us to do things, 38 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:01,440 crazy things like love our enemies, right? 39 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:05,200 He he's taught us how to pray. He's warned US against earthly 40 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:09,720 treasures and anxious living. He's shown us how to live before 41 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:13,320 the Father who sees us, right. That idea of Corumdeo always 42 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:17,760 before the Father's face. And so in these final verses of 43 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:22,600 the sermon of the next few weeks, Jesus presses his hears 44 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:25,960 like a good preacher would. He presses his hears for a 45 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:28,320 response. All right, we don't want to just 46 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:30,320 hear all these things. We don't want them to just 47 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:33,680 become head knowledge that never meet the hearts, right? 48 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:38,800 So now he begins to invite the will of the man to trust him. 49 00:02:38,920 --> 00:02:41,760 All right, so, so he presses for this response. 50 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:44,240 Now, what we're reading are not casual words. 51 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:47,360 Today he's going to offer a warning. 52 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:50,920 He's going to offer invitation and decision. 53 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:55,120 And at the end of it all, what you see is that he sets before 54 00:02:55,120 --> 00:03:01,240 us two ways, one that leads to life and the other that leads to 55 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:05,920 destruction. Now, as we read, we need to pay 56 00:03:05,920 --> 00:03:08,600 attention, right? We need to understand that these 57 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:11,640 words are not merely information from our King. 58 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:16,920 This is the voice of the King, and He's calling us to enter His 59 00:03:16,920 --> 00:03:20,040 way, right? So if you're able, would you 60 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:22,720 please stand with me in honor of the reading of God's Word. 61 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:27,760 Matthew 7, verses 12 through 14. Jesus is speaking here. 62 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:32,960 So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to 63 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:36,000 them. For this is the law, and the 64 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:39,560 prophets enter by the narrow gates. 65 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:42,760 For the gate is wide, and the way is easy that leads to 66 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:45,960 destruction. And those who enter by it are 67 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:48,720 many. For the gate is narrow and the 68 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:53,360 way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. 69 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:56,800 This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. 70 00:03:56,840 --> 00:03:59,800 Let's pray. Heavenly Father, as we open up 71 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:06,080 Matthew 7 and we look at these verses, there are instruction 72 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:10,160 here. There is warning and we know, 73 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:14,040 Father, that the way has been opened through Christ. 74 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:17,000 And so, Lord, as I preach this morning, as we read your word 75 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:20,680 and study it, may it be clear that Christ is inviting us into 76 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:25,000 a totally different kind of life, a different way of living. 77 00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:29,080 And Lord, let us who believe see it as an encouragement. 78 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:34,280 Let it be a help to us. Let it let it strengthen our 79 00:04:34,280 --> 00:04:36,920 pursuit of Christ. Let it strengthen us on our 80 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:41,320 journey here, Lord. And for those who don't believe, 81 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:44,280 Father, I pray that these warnings would ring clear for 82 00:04:44,280 --> 00:04:48,840 them today, that they would see the destructive way of the wide 83 00:04:48,840 --> 00:04:52,040 gate and the wide Rd. Lord, I pray that they would 84 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:55,040 heed the warning of Christ today, that they would trust Him 85 00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:58,520 fully. Lord, we ask for your Spirit to 86 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:02,120 move among us as we read and study your word today as we as 87 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:05,440 we hear it proclaims, Oh my God, would you give us ears to hear, 88 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:08,080 eyes to see, hearts that believe. 89 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:11,120 We ask these things in the name of Christ, Amen. 90 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:19,620 And then you may be seated. So after reading this passage, 91 00:05:19,980 --> 00:05:24,860 one image that that came to mind for me was from a little book 92 00:05:25,220 --> 00:05:28,500 called The Pilgrims Progress. It's written by a man named John 93 00:05:28,500 --> 00:05:32,740 Bunyan a long time ago, and it's one of the most brilliant works 94 00:05:32,740 --> 00:05:37,660 you'll ever read. Bunyan begins the story with a 95 00:05:37,660 --> 00:05:43,160 man named Christian. Christian resides in or lives in 96 00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:48,080 the city of Destruction, but he has begun reading a book. 97 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:52,400 All right, here's your hint. All right, He's begun reading a 98 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:55,280 book. And in the book, it awakens him 99 00:05:55,280 --> 00:05:57,920 to this danger that he has that he didn't know he had. 100 00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:02,200 And so he begins to carry this heavy burden on his back. 101 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:05,080 It's like a literal sack on in the book, right? 102 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:09,440 A heavy burden. And he's deeply distressed 103 00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:13,680 because he knows that judgment is coming, and yet he can't do 104 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:15,800 anything about it or he doesn't think he can. 105 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:19,200 Right. And then he meets a man named 106 00:06:19,280 --> 00:06:22,600 Evangelist. All right, now Evangelist points 107 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:25,880 him away from the City of Destruction and tells him to 108 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:27,960 flee. Like run. 109 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:31,400 And Christian says, where do I go? 110 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:34,480 Right. Well, then Evangelist points to 111 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:39,200 this small gate in the distance. And Bunyan in the book calls it 112 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:42,440 the Wicked Gate. And it's the entrance to the way 113 00:06:42,840 --> 00:06:46,360 of life. So Christian says OK, and he 114 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:49,440 begins to run. And as he runs, his family and 115 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:51,680 his neighbors cry out for him to come back. 116 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:53,920 Hey, come back. What are you doing? 117 00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:56,200 You've gone mad. You're crazy, right? 118 00:06:56,200 --> 00:06:59,360 They mock him. Some think he's lost his mind. 119 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:03,120 Others try to persuade him that he's taking this far too 120 00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:07,040 seriously. And yet Christian keeps running 121 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:11,520 and he keeps crying out life, life, eternal life. 122 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:16,720 Right now that's the scene I think that Jesus sets before us. 123 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:19,640 It had to have been part of the inspiration for Bunyan's book. 124 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:22,960 There is a city of destruction that exists. 125 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:27,640 There is a wide gate and a wide road or an easy Rd. 126 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:31,360 Many people walk this way, many people find it, many people go 127 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:35,320 down it. But it's end is death, right? 128 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:38,600 And there's also this narrow gate, the wicked gate. 129 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:41,320 There's a hard way that's not popular. 130 00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:44,800 It's not easy. It's not the road of self rule. 131 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:47,760 It's not the road of self righteousness or of worldly 132 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:52,160 comforts at all. But it leads to life, right? 133 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:56,480 Jesus is again, he's bringing the sermon, the mount to its 134 00:07:56,480 --> 00:07:59,400 conclusion. And so he's not merely giving 135 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:03,360 advice here, right? None of his sermon has been just 136 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:06,040 good advice, all right? It's the words of the king 137 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:07,800 speaking. So we have to take it that way. 138 00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:10,360 Now. He, he begins to press for a 139 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:13,800 decision. He, he's telling the crowd who's 140 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:17,600 been listening this whole time. You have heard the righteousness 141 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:20,800 of the Kingdom, right? You have heard what life under 142 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:25,560 my rain looks like. Now enter by way of the narrow 143 00:08:25,560 --> 00:08:28,240 gates. He's encouraging them. 144 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:30,840 Don't just stand and admire the gate, right? 145 00:08:32,039 --> 00:08:35,520 Don't linger with the crowd. Do Do not assume that you're 146 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:39,000 safe because you are near the road. 147 00:08:39,799 --> 00:08:42,400 No, it says enter by the narrow gate. 148 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:46,200 I think it brings us to maybe what if? 149 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:47,960 I could summarize the main point of the passage. 150 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:51,560 I've tried to do it this way. Jesus calls us to a life of 151 00:08:51,560 --> 00:08:56,480 costly love and narrow discipleship that leads to 152 00:08:56,480 --> 00:08:59,720 eternal life. Jesus calls us to a life of 153 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:03,320 costly love and narrow discipleship that leads to 154 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:06,080 eternal life. You're going to see that in four 155 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:09,280 movements, all right. One, practice the love that 156 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:12,560 fulfills God's word. Secondly, we'll see enter the 157 00:09:12,560 --> 00:09:14,920 narrow gate of repentance and faith. 158 00:09:15,920 --> 00:09:19,680 Third, we'll see walk the hard way that leads to life. 159 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:24,840 And 4th, we'll see a warning. Beware the easy way that leads 160 00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:29,280 to destruction. So before Jesus commands us to 161 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:34,080 enter the narrow gate, he first. And verse 12 summarizes the life 162 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:37,840 of Kingdom righteousness in one sweeping command. 163 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:41,440 All right, so point number one, practice the love that fulfills 164 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:43,960 God's word. Again, look at verse 12. 165 00:09:43,960 --> 00:09:47,760 So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to 166 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:51,440 them, for this is the law and the prophets. 167 00:09:51,840 --> 00:09:54,160 Now learn this verse as a child, right? 168 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:57,160 I say I learned it. I learned it in the hard way, 169 00:09:57,160 --> 00:09:59,760 right? So I was reminded of this verse 170 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:02,640 as I was picking on other kids and being ugly with my words. 171 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:06,320 You know, it was just something I was good at, not a spiritual 172 00:10:06,320 --> 00:10:07,520 gift, just something I was good at. 173 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:13,320 And and I remember my dad coming to him and asking me, do you 174 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:17,920 remember the golden rule? I said, yes, do unto others 175 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:22,360 before they can do unto you. And I was dead serious, right? 176 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:26,240 That's like, no, all right, Whatever you wish others would 177 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:30,280 do to you, do also to them. And so I remember learning that 178 00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:33,080 in that way. Well, Jesus begins this section 179 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:36,800 with this word. So he's tying verse 12 and the 180 00:10:36,800 --> 00:10:38,440 word. So he's tying verse 12 to 181 00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:41,920 everything that he has been teaching in the Sermon on the 182 00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:44,720 Mounts, right? This is a summary statement. 183 00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:46,520 He's drawing the sermon to its end. 184 00:10:47,240 --> 00:10:50,680 He's not dropping a detached proverb, right? 185 00:10:50,680 --> 00:10:52,640 So many times when you read the Sermon on the Mount, you come to 186 00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:54,760 these little bits and I've tried to point them out where you just 187 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:56,600 think, man, it doesn't really fit in that section. 188 00:10:56,600 --> 00:10:59,200 It's kind of odd, or it's awkward, or maybe it's just 189 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:01,200 something that the writer remembered in a moment, so he 190 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:04,480 wrote it down. No, like there's a purpose to 191 00:11:04,520 --> 00:11:07,280 all of these. This is not a detached proverb. 192 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:11,640 He's gathering up the whole shape of Kingdom righteousness, 193 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:16,880 and he's summarizing it in a single sweeping command, right? 194 00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:21,600 This is the righteousness of those who are poor in spirit. 195 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:25,800 This is the righteousness of those who are meek and merciful, 196 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:28,880 pure in heart and peacemakers, right? 197 00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:32,440 This is the righteousness that surpasses the righteousness of 198 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:35,800 the scribes and Pharisees. This is the righteousness that 199 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:43,000 rejects anger, lust, dishonesty, retaliation, hypocrisy, earthly 200 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:47,600 treasure, anxious unbelief, and self-righteous judgments. 201 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:54,200 And Jesus says whatever, whatever you wish that others 202 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:56,920 would do to you, do also to them. 203 00:11:56,920 --> 00:11:58,480 You see how He's summarizing it all? 204 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:02,320 Now we often call this the Golden Rule, and rightly so. 205 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:06,680 But we don't need to just sweep it away as some fanciful 206 00:12:06,680 --> 00:12:09,800 statement or some good nice thing, all right? 207 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:12,560 We need to feel the weight of what Christ is saying here. 208 00:12:13,280 --> 00:12:18,320 Jesus does not merely say do not treat people badly or do not 209 00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:23,640 harm others. He says do also to them. 210 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:29,240 That's active language. That's the kind of love that 211 00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:33,760 moves you toward others, not away from them, right? 212 00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:39,160 It's one thing to say, well, I didn't slander him, but it's a 213 00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:42,840 totally another thing to protect his reputation when he's being 214 00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:46,320 slandered, All right? It's one thing to say, I did not 215 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:49,880 mistreat her. It's another thing to serve her 216 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:54,480 with patience and care, right? Kingdom righteousness is not 217 00:12:54,480 --> 00:12:58,440 measured only by the evil that you avoid. 218 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:03,400 Certainly we should strive to be holy in that sense, but it's 219 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:07,040 measured also by the kind of love that you pursue, right? 220 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:11,760 The kind of love you display. And so you notice like the scope 221 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:15,080 of the command. Whatever you wish that others 222 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:18,440 would do to you, right? That's a comprehensive 223 00:13:18,440 --> 00:13:20,560 statement. Whatever you wish that others 224 00:13:20,560 --> 00:13:24,120 would do to you in every situation, relationship, 225 00:13:24,280 --> 00:13:29,520 interaction, the disciple of Christ is called to consider. 226 00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:34,560 If I were in their place, how would I want to be treated? 227 00:13:34,560 --> 00:13:38,360 All right, let's get a little more specific. 228 00:13:38,760 --> 00:13:42,520 If I were weak, how would I want others to help me? 229 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:48,400 If I had sinned and repented, how would I want others to 230 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:52,880 restore me? If I were grieving, how would I 231 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:58,200 want others to comfort me? If I were being slandered, how 232 00:13:58,200 --> 00:14:00,000 would I want others to protect my name? 233 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:08,000 Then Jesus says, do that, right? That's not sentimental niceness. 234 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:12,160 This is costly love. What he's laying out here is 235 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:14,880 costly. It takes initiative, but it 236 00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:18,640 doesn't wait for others to deserve your love, right? 237 00:14:18,680 --> 00:14:21,680 It doesn't merely respond when it's convenient. 238 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:25,000 It thinks carefully. It acts intentionally. 239 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:29,720 It treats others with the same concern that we naturally have 240 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:37,400 for ourselves, right? And Jesus says, for this is the 241 00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:42,680 law and the prophets. He means that this command 242 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:47,040 summarizes the ethical demands of God's word in our 243 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:50,560 relationship with others, right? This is similar to what Jesus 244 00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:54,960 says later in Matthew 22, which we'll get to in sometime, right? 245 00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:59,800 Love God with all your heart and soul and mind, and love your 246 00:14:59,800 --> 00:15:03,600 neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend 247 00:15:03,680 --> 00:15:07,720 all the law and the prophets, all right. 248 00:15:07,760 --> 00:15:12,840 Verse 12 is also tied to Leviticus 1918, where in the law 249 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:16,120 we read you shall love your neighbor as yourself. 250 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:21,760 So the point is not that man becomes the measure of morality. 251 00:15:23,360 --> 00:15:28,960 No, it God's law teaches us to love our neighbor with the same 252 00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:35,760 earnestness, care, patience, and concern that we naturally show 253 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:39,400 to ourselves. And that's kind of where the 254 00:15:39,400 --> 00:15:43,160 verse begins to expose our hearts a little bit, right? 255 00:15:43,160 --> 00:15:46,600 This is where it presses on us. Most people like the golden rule 256 00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:49,720 when I get to use it against you, right? 257 00:15:49,880 --> 00:15:51,920 You should treat me the way you want to be treated. 258 00:15:55,240 --> 00:15:59,120 But the Golden Rule becomes a little less friendly to us when 259 00:15:59,120 --> 00:16:02,920 we slow down enough to actually obey it, right? 260 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:05,120 We know how we want to be treated. 261 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:08,000 We want others to assume the best. 262 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:12,120 We want them to speak gently. We want them to forgive quickly, 263 00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:16,480 to remember our burdens, to help when we're overwhelmed, to guard 264 00:16:16,480 --> 00:16:19,800 our reputation, to be tender with our grief and so on and so 265 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:22,600 on. But how often do we actually 266 00:16:22,600 --> 00:16:26,360 treat others that way, right? How often do we show that sort 267 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:30,200 of concern to someone else? Once again, the Sermon on the 268 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:35,760 Mount drives us here to our need for grace, right? 269 00:16:35,760 --> 00:16:37,960 The, the Golden Rule does not flatter us. 270 00:16:38,800 --> 00:16:42,800 It humbles us. It, it shows that we need more 271 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:46,960 than moral improvements. We, we need mercy. 272 00:16:47,880 --> 00:16:51,560 We we need new hearts, we need the righteousness of Christ 273 00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:56,160 credited to us and the Spirit of Christ at work within us if 274 00:16:56,160 --> 00:16:58,440 we're going to uphold the Golden Rule. 275 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:01,840 Now that's important because the narrow way does not begin with 276 00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:04,560 self powered moral effort. Nothing in the Sermon on the 277 00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:07,880 Mount has been about self powered moral effort. 278 00:17:08,839 --> 00:17:12,000 Everything that we've seen begins with repentance and 279 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:15,200 faith. We're not saved by perfectly 280 00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:19,560 keeping verse 12, right? But when Christ saves a person, 281 00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:22,880 he also teaches that person how to walk in love. 282 00:17:24,720 --> 00:17:27,359 So think back to Christian in the Pilgrims Progress. 283 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:30,440 When he leaves the city of destruction, he does not 284 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:34,840 continue living the old life on a new road, right? 285 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:38,360 He becomes a Pilgrim. That's why it's called Pilgrims 286 00:17:38,360 --> 00:17:40,560 Progress. It's about his way to the 287 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:42,320 Celestial City, his way to heaven. 288 00:17:43,040 --> 00:17:46,760 He walks with a new Lord. He has new desires, He has a new 289 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:50,440 direction. And so it is with the disciple 290 00:17:50,440 --> 00:17:54,240 of Jesus. The narrow way is marked by 291 00:17:54,240 --> 00:18:00,960 costly, active Christ like love. So brothers and sisters in your 292 00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:07,720 homes, do to others as you would have them do to you. 293 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:17,120 Husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, children in the Church, 294 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:23,400 as members of 1 body, Do to others what you would have them 295 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:33,000 do to you with your words. Do to others as you would have 296 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:37,400 them do to you. And when you fail, because you 297 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:41,800 will fail, and sometimes spectacularly when you fail, do 298 00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:46,280 not soften Jesus's command or lower the standard of the Golden 299 00:18:46,280 --> 00:18:50,520 Rule. Run to Christ, confess your 300 00:18:50,520 --> 00:18:53,800 lovelessness. Receive mercy from the one who 301 00:18:53,800 --> 00:18:56,600 has never failed to love God or neighbor. 302 00:18:57,160 --> 00:19:02,600 Then rise up in his grace and walk again in the way of love. 303 00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:06,400 See, the narrow way begins right here. 304 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:09,800 It doesn't begin with this bare religious profession. 305 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:14,880 It begins with Kingdom love that actively seeks others good 306 00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:21,400 according to the word of God. But Jesus does not allow us to 307 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:24,920 simply admire King, admire the Kingdom from a distance. 308 00:19:25,480 --> 00:19:28,600 He now commands us to enter the narrow gate through which 309 00:19:29,040 --> 00:19:33,040 Kingdom life begins. Point #2 enter the narrow gate 310 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:36,840 of repentance and faith. We're going to look at part of 311 00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:42,880 13, part of 14 here. So Jesus moves from a summary 312 00:19:42,880 --> 00:19:47,800 statements to a summons. Right after saying whatever you 313 00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:52,360 wish that others would do to you, do also to them, He now 314 00:19:52,360 --> 00:19:56,920 gives a direct command. Enter the narrow gate. 315 00:19:58,360 --> 00:20:01,080 Now Jesus is not merely asking you here to think about the 316 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:04,000 gate. He's not calling you to admire 317 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:05,360 the gate. Look how beautiful it is. 318 00:20:05,360 --> 00:20:09,600 Look how lovely it is. He's not inviting us to stand 319 00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:12,600 near the gates. He's not inviting you to study 320 00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:16,360 it or even to appreciate its beauty, which may be why John 321 00:20:16,360 --> 00:20:18,720 Bunyan made it a wicked gate. It's not very beautiful. 322 00:20:20,080 --> 00:20:25,600 He commands us to enter the gates because here Jesus is 323 00:20:25,600 --> 00:20:29,720 pressing for a response. Again, the Sermon on the Mount 324 00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:33,640 is not a collection of moral teachings to be respected. 325 00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:39,120 It is the word of King of the King demanding repentance, faith 326 00:20:39,160 --> 00:20:42,600 and allegiance. Jesus has been showing us what 327 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:48,200 life in His Kingdom looks like and now he says enter right? 328 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:52,200 And notice verse 14 which says for the gate is narrow. 329 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:56,400 It is narrow because there is only one way into the Kingdom of 330 00:20:56,400 --> 00:21:00,040 heaven. We do not enter by our morality. 331 00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:02,360 We do not enter by our family background. 332 00:21:02,360 --> 00:21:04,480 We don't enter because our grandma almost went to church. 333 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:06,160 We don't enter by church attendance. 334 00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:09,360 We don't enter through religious knowledge or baptism or good 335 00:21:09,360 --> 00:21:13,840 works or outward association with Christian people, right? 336 00:21:13,840 --> 00:21:20,360 We enter through Christ alone. And Jesus will later say, as 337 00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:23,880 Alan read earlier in John chapter 14, verse 6, I am the 338 00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:27,880 way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father 339 00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:33,440 except through me. Peter will preach in Acts 412. 340 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:36,840 And there is salvation in no one else. 341 00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:42,000 That is the narrowness of this gate. 342 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:45,080 Salvation is not found in many saviors. 343 00:21:45,960 --> 00:21:48,280 It's not found in many gospels. It's not found in many 344 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:50,960 religions. I don't care what the world 345 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:52,000 tells you. I don't care what all the 346 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:55,960 religions say, right? We believe the one true God of 347 00:21:55,960 --> 00:21:59,760 heaven and earth. It's not found in many paths. 348 00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:02,120 We're not universalist. We don't believe there's many 349 00:22:02,120 --> 00:22:04,240 paths leading to heaven, that everyone's going to find their 350 00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:08,120 way there somehow. Salvation is found in Jesus 351 00:22:08,120 --> 00:22:11,880 Christ alone. But the gate is also narrow, 352 00:22:12,560 --> 00:22:14,520 right? Because entering it requires 353 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:17,960 repentance. You cannot enter the narrow gate 354 00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:22,280 while clinging to self rule. You cannot remain the God of 355 00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:24,400 your life and make God the God of your life. 356 00:22:25,240 --> 00:22:29,920 You cannot enter while insisting on your sin or on your desire to 357 00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:35,000 be your own Lord. The narrow gate is not wide 358 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:40,720 enough for Christ and our idols to enter. 359 00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:45,560 We must come empty handed, turning from sin and trusting 360 00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:50,120 Him fully. Now what I'm not saying is that 361 00:22:50,120 --> 00:22:53,400 you have to clean yourself up so that Jesus will receive you 362 00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:57,840 right. No, we, we come as sinners, it's 363 00:22:57,840 --> 00:23:00,000 all that we can bring to Christ is our sin. 364 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:05,440 We come needy, we come guilty, we come burdened, but we do not 365 00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:10,160 come to negotiate the terms. We don't come to say we want to 366 00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:14,560 have it this way, Lord, We come surrendering to the King of 367 00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:17,960 kings. This again is where the pilgrims 368 00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:20,960 progress is insightful. Christian is told to flee the 369 00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:23,080 city of destruction, the head toward the wicked gate. 370 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:26,760 He's burdened, he's afraid, he's desperate for life. 371 00:23:27,640 --> 00:23:31,480 When others call him back, he puts his fingers in his ears and 372 00:23:31,480 --> 00:23:34,880 he runs crying. Life, life, eternal life. 373 00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:38,880 That's the urgency that Jesus presses here. 374 00:23:40,200 --> 00:23:43,240 He's saying do not linger on the road to destruction. 375 00:23:43,240 --> 00:23:46,000 Do not stand still under your conviction. 376 00:23:46,680 --> 00:23:49,480 Do not merely agree that the narrow gate exists. 377 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:52,440 Enter it. Right. 378 00:23:53,560 --> 00:23:57,960 So the question is simple. Have you entered the narrow 379 00:23:57,960 --> 00:24:04,400 gate? Not, Not have you heard about 380 00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:07,880 the gate? Not not even have you grown up 381 00:24:07,880 --> 00:24:13,840 near the gate? Not do you admire those who walk 382 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:18,720 through the gate, Not do you believe the gate is important, 383 00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:24,840 But have you entered by repentance and faith in Jesus 384 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:30,640 Christ? I think this is especially 385 00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:34,320 sobering for those who have spent years around the things of 386 00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:39,280 God. You, You can hear sermons, you 387 00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:46,320 can sing hymns, you can sit under scripture, you can know 388 00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:50,560 Christianese, right? You can agree with Christian 389 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:54,720 doctrine, and you can still remain outside the gate. 390 00:24:56,520 --> 00:24:59,280 Being near the Kingdom is not the same as entering the 391 00:24:59,280 --> 00:25:02,840 Kingdom. But I think this is also very 392 00:25:02,840 --> 00:25:07,280 gracious of Christ. Notice what Christ isn't doing. 393 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:12,320 Christ is not hiding the gate. He's not sending you on a hide 394 00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:16,560 and seek mission, all right? He doesn't leave sinners 395 00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:18,560 guessing. What are we supposed to do now 396 00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:21,400 that we've heard all this? He tells us plainly. 397 00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:25,600 Enter by the narrow gate. Come to Christ. 398 00:25:25,720 --> 00:25:28,560 Turn from your sin. Lay down your excuses. 399 00:25:28,640 --> 00:25:32,720 Stop trusting yourself. Stop assuming that there will be 400 00:25:32,720 --> 00:25:37,400 another day or another chance. Enter the gate today. 401 00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:43,520 All right. And believers, we shouldn't lose 402 00:25:43,520 --> 00:25:47,440 wonder at this, right? We should be All in all of this. 403 00:25:48,080 --> 00:25:53,240 You, you entered the gates not because you were worthy, not 404 00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:56,480 because you were strong, right? Not because you were wise. 405 00:25:56,480 --> 00:26:00,040 You had big brains, right? You or because you're righteous. 406 00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:04,840 No, you, you entered because Christ opened the way for you, 407 00:26:05,960 --> 00:26:07,600 right? He fulfilled the righteousness 408 00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:10,080 that you lacked, that you can never have. 409 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:13,680 He bore the judgment that you deserved but could never pay. 410 00:26:13,840 --> 00:26:19,480 He rose from the dead, and by his grace he brought you in to 411 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:25,520 the wicked gate. So let us not be ashamed as 412 00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:29,720 believers about the narrowness of this gate, because Christ is 413 00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:34,440 not ashamed of it, right? In a world that prizes 414 00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:38,720 broadness, Jesus says the gate is narrow. 415 00:26:40,160 --> 00:26:44,480 In a world that claims all roads lead to God, Jesus says there is 416 00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:48,000 one way that leads to life, right? 417 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:51,840 In a world that urges us to soften hard truths And maybe 418 00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:54,440 just don't say it like that. Like, you know, you can cover it 419 00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:56,160 up with some roses or something, right? 420 00:26:56,160 --> 00:26:59,720 Put a little sugar on top of it. No, Jesus commands us here to 421 00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:05,320 speak plainly and lovingly. Sinners must come to God through 422 00:27:05,320 --> 00:27:09,760 Christ alone. So the narrow gate is exclusive. 423 00:27:10,760 --> 00:27:17,640 But it's not cruel, right? It is narrow, yet it is open. 424 00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:23,040 Every Sinner who comes to Christ in repentance and faith will be 425 00:27:23,040 --> 00:27:28,400 received. Jesus doesn't only speak about a 426 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:32,360 gate to enter. He speaks of a way to walk point 427 00:27:32,360 --> 00:27:38,360 #3 walk the hard way that leads to life, walk the hard way that 428 00:27:38,360 --> 00:27:43,920 leads to life. Again, verse 14 he says for the 429 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:48,160 gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and 430 00:27:48,160 --> 00:27:54,040 those who find it are few. The gate is narrow. 431 00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:57,640 The way is hard. And what this means is true 432 00:27:57,640 --> 00:28:02,200 discipleship is not merely a moment of decision, right? 433 00:28:02,760 --> 00:28:05,440 It's it's a life of following Christ. 434 00:28:06,120 --> 00:28:10,040 We enter the narrow gate by repentance and faith, and then 435 00:28:10,040 --> 00:28:13,600 we walk the narrow way in repentance and faith. 436 00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:16,480 You never, ever outgrow the gospel. 437 00:28:16,480 --> 00:28:19,000 You never, ever outgrow repentance and faith. 438 00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:21,360 Amen. That's not enough. 439 00:28:21,360 --> 00:28:22,960 Amen. So I got to know you believe, 440 00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:23,800 right? Try it again. 441 00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:29,120 All right, All right, We're there, right? 442 00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:34,080 And, and Jesus tells us plainly, like this way is hard and all 443 00:28:34,080 --> 00:28:38,960 the believers said Amen, right? The the word conveys that you're 444 00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:43,280 being pressed against, right? That that you're constricted, 445 00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:47,000 afflicted, or it's difficult, right? 446 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:51,480 This is not the broad Rd. of ease of comfort, of self rule 447 00:28:51,480 --> 00:28:54,880 and popularity. This is the way of discipleship. 448 00:28:55,480 --> 00:28:59,320 This is the way of self denial. This is the way of obedience to 449 00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:01,680 Christ. This is the way of taking up 450 00:29:01,680 --> 00:29:06,320 your cross and following Christ. I love the way that Eugene 451 00:29:06,320 --> 00:29:09,160 Peterson described it. He described as a long obedience 452 00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:12,520 in the same direction, right? That's what we're describing 453 00:29:12,520 --> 00:29:15,080 here. Now, we need to be careful here 454 00:29:15,080 --> 00:29:17,040 because I don't want you to misunderstand what Christ is 455 00:29:17,040 --> 00:29:20,560 saying or what I'm saying. Jesus is not saying His way is 456 00:29:20,560 --> 00:29:24,480 miserable, right? None of us can look back across 457 00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:28,200 our Christian life and say this is so miserable. 458 00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:34,440 Why would I do this? No, because you know that Psalm 459 00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:38,280 1611, He's made known to you the path of life and had his right 460 00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:42,240 hand or these pleasures forever more that he just drops down 461 00:29:42,240 --> 00:29:45,320 these blessings, these goodnesses of God, right? 462 00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:49,080 You know that it's good even when it's difficult. 463 00:29:52,720 --> 00:29:57,120 He's also not saying that his yoke is cruel, right? 464 00:29:57,480 --> 00:30:02,040 Later in Matthew 11, one of my favorite scriptures in all the 465 00:30:02,040 --> 00:30:07,480 Bible, Jesus says come to me all who labor and are heavy laden, 466 00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:12,320 and I will give you rest. For my yoke is easy and my 467 00:30:12,320 --> 00:30:18,480 burden is light. So we have to reconcile 2 468 00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:20,280 truths. We've got to be able to hold 469 00:30:20,280 --> 00:30:25,640 these two truths together. Christ's yoke is easy, and we 470 00:30:25,640 --> 00:30:28,880 can say it's easy because God is gracious. 471 00:30:29,800 --> 00:30:33,800 God is gentle. He's sufficient in every way. 472 00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:39,680 But the way is hard because following him means that you are 473 00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:43,600 called to die to your sins. You're called to resist the 474 00:30:43,600 --> 00:30:46,160 world, you're called to deny yourself. 475 00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:49,720 You're called to walk against the current age, right? 476 00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:54,960 And if we've been listening to the Sermon on the Mount, we 477 00:30:54,960 --> 00:30:58,960 already know that the way is hard, right? 478 00:30:58,960 --> 00:31:01,920 It's hard to be poor in spirit when the world tells you to be 479 00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:07,200 proud and self-sufficient. It's hard to mourn over sin when 480 00:31:07,200 --> 00:31:10,320 the world urges you to excuse your sins. 481 00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:16,120 It's hard to be meek when the world celebrates self assertion. 482 00:31:17,560 --> 00:31:20,800 It's hard to hunger and thirst for righteousness when the world 483 00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:25,240 tells you to hunger for comfort, success and approval. 484 00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:29,760 It's hard to make peace with your anger when it feels 485 00:31:29,760 --> 00:31:33,320 justified. It's hard to love your enemies 486 00:31:33,320 --> 00:31:36,200 when revenge really feels most natural. 487 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:42,920 It's It's hard to give and to pray and to fast and secret when 488 00:31:42,920 --> 00:31:47,160 your flesh wants to be noticed. But it's hard to seek first the 489 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:50,520 Kingdom when earthly treasures look so secure. 490 00:31:51,440 --> 00:31:55,360 It's hard to trust the Father when anxiety feels like you're 491 00:31:55,360 --> 00:31:58,720 being responsible. It's hard to treat others the 492 00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:03,560 way you would want to be treated when selfishness comes so easily 493 00:32:03,560 --> 00:32:06,800 to us. And what's so G When Jesus says 494 00:32:06,800 --> 00:32:10,640 the way is hard, He's not hiding the cost. 495 00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:15,320 The narrow way requires the death of our pride, the death of 496 00:32:15,320 --> 00:32:18,760 our idols, the death of our excuses, the death of self rule, 497 00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:22,040 right? It presses against the flesh. 498 00:32:22,280 --> 00:32:27,960 It exposes false professors. It separates true discipleship 499 00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:31,080 from casual religious admiration. 500 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:35,960 But I don't want you to miss the promise that Christ lays out 501 00:32:35,960 --> 00:32:41,240 here. This hard way, Christ says, 502 00:32:42,160 --> 00:32:47,920 leads to life. That's encouragement. 503 00:32:48,880 --> 00:32:52,120 The way is hard, yet not hopeless. 504 00:32:53,200 --> 00:32:58,360 You really are almost home, but the way is narrow, yet it's not 505 00:32:58,360 --> 00:33:01,600 empty. The way is costly, yet it is not 506 00:33:01,600 --> 00:33:04,920 wasted, right? It leads to life. 507 00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:08,960 When I say it leads to life, we're talking about eternal life 508 00:33:08,960 --> 00:33:11,600 with God. We're talking about the fullness 509 00:33:11,760 --> 00:33:14,120 of joy and the obedience of Christ. 510 00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:17,640 We're talking about the hope of future resurrection. 511 00:33:17,760 --> 00:33:20,880 We're talking about a Kingdom that cannot be shaken. 512 00:33:23,640 --> 00:33:26,080 You can think back to Christian in the pilgrims progress. 513 00:33:26,080 --> 00:33:27,360 If you're familiar with the story. 514 00:33:27,520 --> 00:33:30,720 After he enters the gate, his journey isn't over. 515 00:33:30,960 --> 00:33:32,880 Like that's where the story really kicks off. 516 00:33:32,880 --> 00:33:35,920 Like, it gets really exciting in many ways. 517 00:33:36,120 --> 00:33:40,160 It's only just begun. As he enters the gates, he but 518 00:33:40,160 --> 00:33:43,280 along the way, he still faces difficulty. 519 00:33:43,680 --> 00:33:48,560 He faces temptation, right? He, he, he faces this town 520 00:33:48,560 --> 00:33:51,840 called Vanity Fair, right? Sounds like a magazine we have 521 00:33:51,840 --> 00:33:55,600 around today, right? And he goes into the town. 522 00:33:55,600 --> 00:33:58,400 He's tempted to enjoy all the things of it, right? 523 00:33:58,400 --> 00:34:02,160 He faces opposition, literally fights a demon on the road. 524 00:34:02,160 --> 00:34:04,280 Like, this is a great story. If you haven't read it, it's 525 00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:07,520 awesome, right? He gets tired, he's weary, he 526 00:34:07,520 --> 00:34:16,320 finds danger, right? And yet he keeps going because 527 00:34:16,320 --> 00:34:18,880 he's headed toward the Celestial City. 528 00:34:19,400 --> 00:34:24,000 He's headed to heaven. The the road is hard, but he 529 00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:27,080 knows that the destination is life. 530 00:34:28,360 --> 00:34:33,800 That is the Christian life. We, we don't walk the narrow way 531 00:34:33,800 --> 00:34:37,440 because it's easy, brothers and sisters, we, we walk it because 532 00:34:37,440 --> 00:34:42,040 Christ is worthy and because this way leads to life. 533 00:34:42,080 --> 00:34:47,199 So brothers and sisters, I don't want you to be surprised when 534 00:34:47,199 --> 00:34:49,560 your obedience to God is costly to you. 535 00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:54,040 It will be costly. It ought to be costly. 536 00:34:55,080 --> 00:34:59,040 Don't be shocked when fighting for holiness feels like you're 537 00:34:59,040 --> 00:35:03,360 in a war with yourself. Do not assume that you're doing 538 00:35:03,360 --> 00:35:07,360 something wrong simply because following Jesus is difficult, 539 00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:08,760 right? It's it. 540 00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:13,720 It is those refining fires of trials that purify us. 541 00:35:13,880 --> 00:35:19,360 According to First Peter, Jesus has told us the way would be 542 00:35:19,360 --> 00:35:22,440 hard. He's not hiding that there will 543 00:35:22,440 --> 00:35:25,440 be sins that you must fight when your flesh wants to hold on to 544 00:35:25,440 --> 00:35:27,800 them. There will be relationships you 545 00:35:27,800 --> 00:35:30,720 must pursue when pride wants to withdraw. 546 00:35:31,560 --> 00:35:35,200 There will be forgiveness you must extend when bitterness just 547 00:35:35,200 --> 00:35:39,280 quite honestly seems easier. But there will be truth that you 548 00:35:39,280 --> 00:35:43,920 must speak when silence would cost you a whole lot less. 549 00:35:45,040 --> 00:35:49,200 There will be comforts that you must surrender when Christ calls 550 00:35:49,200 --> 00:35:53,480 you to seek first his Kingdom. You see, the narrow way will not 551 00:35:53,480 --> 00:35:57,200 always be popular. It's rarely popular. 552 00:35:58,320 --> 00:36:02,400 It will not always be applauded. Other than in the congregation 553 00:36:02,400 --> 00:36:05,640 of the Saints where we can cheer for one another along the way. 554 00:36:06,520 --> 00:36:08,880 It will not always make sense to the crowd. 555 00:36:09,720 --> 00:36:13,520 But the question is not, is this way easy? 556 00:36:14,440 --> 00:36:18,000 No, the question is where does this way lead? 557 00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:20,800 And Christ says it leads to life. 558 00:36:21,760 --> 00:36:24,480 Leads to life. Someone encourage you, brothers 559 00:36:24,480 --> 00:36:27,800 and sisters. Keep walking. 560 00:36:29,200 --> 00:36:32,160 Keep walking. Keep repenting. 561 00:36:33,640 --> 00:36:37,280 Keep believing. Keep obeying. 562 00:36:37,640 --> 00:36:42,640 Keep looking to Christ. He's not merely the gate through 563 00:36:42,640 --> 00:36:46,120 which you enter. He's the shepherd of Psalm 23 564 00:36:46,120 --> 00:36:51,000 who keeps us on the way. He's the Savior and the Gospels 565 00:36:51,000 --> 00:36:55,080 who strengthens weary pilgrims. He's the King of Kings who 566 00:36:55,200 --> 00:37:01,640 brings his people home safely. You got to notice the reason 567 00:37:01,640 --> 00:37:06,040 that Jesus urges us to walk the hard way is that there's another 568 00:37:06,040 --> 00:37:09,080 Rd. An easier, wider, more crowded, 569 00:37:09,240 --> 00:37:15,080 more deadly Rd. point #4 beware the easy way that leads to 570 00:37:15,080 --> 00:37:20,440 destruction. So Jesus first gives the command 571 00:37:20,440 --> 00:37:24,200 enter by the narrow gate. He even explains why this 572 00:37:24,200 --> 00:37:29,000 command is so urgent. For the gate is wide and the way 573 00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:31,280 is easy. That leads to destruction. 574 00:37:31,720 --> 00:37:34,600 And those who enter by it are many. 575 00:37:35,680 --> 00:37:40,480 So Jesus warns us that there's another gate and another way. 576 00:37:42,080 --> 00:37:48,960 It's wide, it's easy, it's crowded, and it ends in 577 00:37:48,960 --> 00:37:54,440 destruction. Now the wide gate is appealing 578 00:37:55,080 --> 00:37:57,360 because it requires no repentance. 579 00:37:59,520 --> 00:38:03,080 Let's just be honest. It's appealing because there's 580 00:38:03,440 --> 00:38:06,640 requires no repentance, right? It allows a person to keep his 581 00:38:06,640 --> 00:38:10,600 sin, it allows a person to keep his pride. 582 00:38:11,560 --> 00:38:14,480 It allows him to keep his self righteousness, bitterness, his 583 00:38:14,600 --> 00:38:18,040 love for the world, his desire to be his own Lord. 584 00:38:19,040 --> 00:38:22,960 It's wide enough for every idol that he wants to possess and 585 00:38:22,960 --> 00:38:28,520 it'll encourage idle possession. It's broad enough for every 586 00:38:28,520 --> 00:38:31,960 excuse. I'm this way because my father 587 00:38:31,960 --> 00:38:35,320 was this way or that way, or I'm this way because my mom did this 588 00:38:35,320 --> 00:38:38,800 or that, or I'm this because of those people over there and what 589 00:38:38,800 --> 00:38:44,160 they did right. The the wide way, the wide gate 590 00:38:44,160 --> 00:38:48,760 does not press the conscience. It doesn't deny the flesh. 591 00:38:49,320 --> 00:38:51,440 It doesn't demand allegiance to Christ. 592 00:38:52,560 --> 00:38:57,920 And Jesus says this way is easy. Now, what he's not saying is 593 00:38:57,920 --> 00:39:01,640 that it's pleasant, right? It doesn't mean life on that 594 00:39:01,640 --> 00:39:05,000 road is always going to be sunshine and rainbows. 595 00:39:06,960 --> 00:39:11,800 Sin still brings misery. The world still brings sorrow, 596 00:39:12,480 --> 00:39:15,040 right? But it's easy in this sense. 597 00:39:16,920 --> 00:39:19,920 It is the road of least resistance. 598 00:39:20,800 --> 00:39:24,360 It's the natural path of a fallen man. 599 00:39:26,080 --> 00:39:29,120 You do not have to be converted to walk this road. 600 00:39:29,600 --> 00:39:33,360 You don't have to be born again. You don't have to fight the 601 00:39:33,360 --> 00:39:36,200 flesh, resist the world, or take up your cross. 602 00:39:36,400 --> 00:39:40,160 You just simply follow the current, right? 603 00:39:41,120 --> 00:39:43,760 And that's why many enter through it. 604 00:39:45,240 --> 00:39:49,280 Many go through it because the crowd is there, popularity is 605 00:39:49,280 --> 00:39:52,360 there, the culture is there, false religion is there, open 606 00:39:52,360 --> 00:39:56,520 rebellion is there, Polished morality without Christ is 607 00:39:56,520 --> 00:39:59,040 there. The person who wants to know God 608 00:39:59,040 --> 00:40:02,800 is there, and the person who wants a God on his own terms is 609 00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:05,800 there. That was. 610 00:40:05,880 --> 00:40:08,440 That's what makes this warning so sobering. 611 00:40:08,480 --> 00:40:12,440 I think that the wide Rd. is not only filled with the openly 612 00:40:12,440 --> 00:40:15,080 immoral. It's also filled with the 613 00:40:15,080 --> 00:40:19,760 comfortably religious. It includes those who reject 614 00:40:19,760 --> 00:40:25,080 Jesus outright and those who admire Jesus from a distance, 615 00:40:25,280 --> 00:40:28,040 but never through repentance and faith. 616 00:40:29,120 --> 00:40:33,160 So we must not assume safety because the road is crowded. 617 00:40:34,080 --> 00:40:36,000 We can't look around at the numbers, say, well, this must be 618 00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:38,400 a good Rd. There's a lot of people here. 619 00:40:39,840 --> 00:40:42,960 We must not assume truth because the road is easy. 620 00:40:44,520 --> 00:40:48,800 We we can't assume life because the road feels peaceful. 621 00:40:50,040 --> 00:40:54,920 Jesus says very clearly this road leads to destruction. 622 00:40:56,480 --> 00:41:00,520 When he talks about destruction, he is talking about final 623 00:41:00,520 --> 00:41:04,800 judgments. He's talking about eternal loss, 624 00:41:06,120 --> 00:41:11,240 eternal separation from God. He's he's telling us of the ruin 625 00:41:11,240 --> 00:41:16,200 of those who refuse the King. He's not trying to frighten you 626 00:41:16,200 --> 00:41:24,080 with exaggeration, right? He's loving us with the truth. 627 00:41:24,080 --> 00:41:28,680 Here you can think of Christian again in the pilgrims progress, 628 00:41:28,680 --> 00:41:30,640 right? He fled the city of destruction 629 00:41:30,640 --> 00:41:35,720 because he believed the warning. Others laughed, they delayed, 630 00:41:35,720 --> 00:41:39,040 they argued, they stayed behind. Even his own wife. 631 00:41:39,600 --> 00:41:43,520 But Christian ran because he understood that the danger was 632 00:41:43,520 --> 00:41:47,080 real. And that is the mercy of a 633 00:41:47,080 --> 00:41:49,760 warning. Brothers and sisters, when 634 00:41:49,760 --> 00:41:53,280 Christ offers a warning, he is offering you mercy. 635 00:41:54,400 --> 00:41:58,600 A warning sounds severe only to the person who doesn't believe 636 00:41:58,600 --> 00:42:03,600 the danger. So here Jesus's warning plainly 637 00:42:03,600 --> 00:42:06,840 this morning. Do not follow the crowd to 638 00:42:06,840 --> 00:42:11,200 destruction. Do not confuse ease with life. 639 00:42:11,880 --> 00:42:15,280 Do not mistake religious familiarity for saving faith. 640 00:42:16,000 --> 00:42:20,080 Do not remain on the wide Rd. simply because it feels normal 641 00:42:20,080 --> 00:42:27,600 or respectable or comfortable. There are only two ways Christ 642 00:42:27,600 --> 00:42:29,520 does not lay out a third Rd. for you. 643 00:42:30,600 --> 00:42:34,080 That there is no neutral ground here. 644 00:42:35,160 --> 00:42:37,760 There is the narrow way that leads to life and there is the 645 00:42:37,760 --> 00:42:40,960 wide way that leads to destruction. 646 00:42:43,000 --> 00:42:45,600 So here is the call of Christ this morning. 647 00:42:46,680 --> 00:42:50,480 Jesus calls us to a life of costly love and narrow 648 00:42:50,480 --> 00:42:53,280 discipleship that leads to eternal life. 649 00:42:54,680 --> 00:42:59,240 He has shown us the love of the Kingdom do to others as you 650 00:42:59,240 --> 00:43:03,080 would have them do to you. He has shown us the gate of the 651 00:43:03,080 --> 00:43:07,840 Kingdom enter by repentance and faith in Christ alone. 652 00:43:08,960 --> 00:43:12,920 He's shown us the way of the Kingdom walk, the hard Rd. of 653 00:43:12,920 --> 00:43:16,520 discipleship, because this way leads to life. 654 00:43:17,480 --> 00:43:21,640 And He has warned us about the way of destruction, the wide, 655 00:43:21,920 --> 00:43:26,120 easy and crowded Rd. that ends in judgment. 656 00:43:28,000 --> 00:43:33,280 So do not merely admire the Sermon on the Mount, my friends. 657 00:43:34,800 --> 00:43:37,280 Do not merely agree with Jesus's words. 658 00:43:38,880 --> 00:43:41,600 Do not merely stand at the narrow gate. 659 00:43:42,560 --> 00:43:46,720 Enter the narrow gate today. Come to Christ. 660 00:43:47,520 --> 00:43:50,200 Turn from your sin. Lay down yourself. 661 00:43:50,200 --> 00:43:53,400 Righteousness. Leave the wide Rd. 662 00:43:53,520 --> 00:43:58,200 Trust the Savior who fulfilled all righteousness, who died for 663 00:43:58,200 --> 00:44:02,560 sinners, who rose from the dead, and who now calls you to follow 664 00:44:02,840 --> 00:44:06,880 him. And if you belong to Christ this 665 00:44:06,880 --> 00:44:12,920 morning, keep walking. The way may be hard and it will 666 00:44:12,920 --> 00:44:19,000 be, but it leads to life. But the road may be narrow, Yet 667 00:44:19,000 --> 00:44:24,200 the Savior is good, and everyone who enters through him will be 668 00:44:24,200 --> 00:44:27,080 brought safely home. Let's pray. 669 00:44:28,000 --> 00:44:31,880 Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word this morning. 670 00:44:33,400 --> 00:44:39,240 We thank you, Lord, for your kindness toward us that Christ 671 00:44:39,240 --> 00:44:42,640 came and he preached repents for the Kingdom of heaven is at 672 00:44:42,640 --> 00:44:46,680 hand. And then he went on to preach 673 00:44:46,680 --> 00:44:50,080 what we know as the Sermon on the Mount in which he described 674 00:44:50,560 --> 00:44:55,720 Kingdom citizens. He calls us to give up self 675 00:44:55,720 --> 00:45:01,240 love, to give up self approval, to give up being gods ourselves, 676 00:45:01,480 --> 00:45:05,960 being the Lord of our own life, and to come to him, to enter the 677 00:45:05,960 --> 00:45:09,600 narrow gate, to walk the narrow way that leads to life. 678 00:45:11,560 --> 00:45:16,400 And so Lord, I have two requests this morning. 1 is for my 679 00:45:16,400 --> 00:45:20,520 brothers and sisters in Christ. That you would keep them, 680 00:45:22,080 --> 00:45:24,960 Father, that they would continue walking in strength. 681 00:45:25,640 --> 00:45:28,960 That they would know Your grace each day, That they would know 682 00:45:28,960 --> 00:45:33,280 new mercies each morning. That they would have the power 683 00:45:33,280 --> 00:45:37,280 of the Spirit to put to death the deeds of the flesh, and that 684 00:45:37,280 --> 00:45:43,440 they would walk before you with holiness, with gratitude, and 685 00:45:43,440 --> 00:45:46,640 with your help. Father, would you be near to 686 00:45:46,640 --> 00:45:49,280 them? Would you be their shepherd to 687 00:45:49,320 --> 00:45:54,400 strengthen them? And Father, my second request is 688 00:45:54,400 --> 00:45:58,160 for those who do not know you this morning, whether they're 689 00:45:58,160 --> 00:46:02,280 young or they're old, whether they've lived a lot of life or 690 00:46:02,280 --> 00:46:05,960 lived very little or they've committed a lot of sins or 691 00:46:05,960 --> 00:46:09,560 they're just getting started. Oh, Lord, I pray that you would 692 00:46:09,560 --> 00:46:14,080 reveal to them the beauty of Christ and salvation in Him this 693 00:46:14,080 --> 00:46:17,440 morning, that you would help them to see the ugliness, the 694 00:46:17,440 --> 00:46:20,960 stain of their own sins. That you would put a burden on 695 00:46:20,960 --> 00:46:24,920 their back, just like Christian had, and that they would come to 696 00:46:24,920 --> 00:46:27,760 the narrow gate, they would seek the Lord. 697 00:46:28,240 --> 00:46:31,840 That they would find mercy at the cross, That they would find 698 00:46:31,840 --> 00:46:35,040 grace and salvation. That you would give them a new 699 00:46:35,040 --> 00:46:38,400 life, a new heart, and a right spirit. 700 00:46:38,400 --> 00:46:46,160 Father, I'll give you a moment now to pray there in your seat, 701 00:46:46,160 --> 00:46:53,080 to seek the Lord to respond to Christ today as He leads you. 702 00:46:55,560 --> 00:46:57,400 Then I'll conclude in prayer in a moment. 703 00:48:00,560 --> 00:48:05,120 Heavenly Father, we thank you for mercy and grace and our time 704 00:48:05,120 --> 00:48:09,160 of need. We thank you, Christ, that you 705 00:48:09,160 --> 00:48:12,640 have told us. Come to you all who are weary 706 00:48:13,320 --> 00:48:18,160 and heavy laden, and the promise that you will give us rest. 707 00:48:20,080 --> 00:48:26,600 Lord, would you help us to take that yoke of yours upon us, to 708 00:48:26,600 --> 00:48:30,200 walk with it, to walk in it, to bear it and all of life? 709 00:48:34,120 --> 00:48:36,960 God, may we live a life that glorifies your great name, but 710 00:48:37,880 --> 00:48:42,080 we live a life that's truly good for those around us, good for 711 00:48:42,080 --> 00:48:46,000 our own souls. May we live as pilgrims on the 712 00:48:46,000 --> 00:48:51,320 way home. Lord, would you keep us each 713 00:48:51,320 --> 00:48:53,360 day? Strengthen us by your grace, 714 00:48:53,360 --> 00:48:56,960 your mercy, Help us to walk with you in every way. 715 00:48:58,400 --> 00:49:00,320 It's in the name of Christ I pray today. 716 00:49:00,320 --> 00:49:00,600 Amen.