Humble Beast #JesusUncensored PRAY! The Sermon on the Mount Choose Life Matthew 7:13-14

Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)– 13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Matthew 7:13-14 (ESV) – 13 “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. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

 The Climax of The Sermon on the Mount o Jesus brings the message to the decision point. There are two gates, two roads, two destinations with two different crowds.

Enter Matthew 7:13a – “Enter through the narrow gate.

It is not enough to know about the gate or to be able to identify the gate. Jesus tells us to “enter through the narrow gate.”

Two Gates The world would try to have us believe that there are many choices to choose from. God says that there are only two ways to choose from.

Wide Gate (Self-Work Gate) Proverbs 14:12 – There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.  Pop Culture o “All ways lead to God.” (ex. Mountain analogy) o Do goodism / Human achievement

 Man-Made Religion o “Our way leads to God.” o Self-Righteous / Works Based

Narrow Gate (His-Work Gate)  God o “Jesus Christ is the way.” o John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. o Acts 4:9-12 – 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’

12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

o Romans 3:21-28 – 21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

o Ephesians 2:1-9 – As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

These gates open up to roads that we walk down life on.

Two Roads “My way or the highway!”

Broad Road (Easy Way / Old Way) We easily slip in to the ruts of sin and walk down the same path of the world.  Selfish, Self Indulged, Self-Righteous o Romans 12:2 – Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Narrow Road (Hard Way / New Way)  New Road o 2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation. The old has gone, the new is here!

 Self Denial o Matthew 16:24-26 – 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?

 Work o Ephesians 2:10 – For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

 Love o Ephesians 5:1-2 – 1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Two Destinations It is not only very unpopular to speak of Christ as the only way but it is also very unpopular to speak of the very real eternal heaven and hell.

Destruction (Hell) (worse than we can imagine)  Death o Romans 6:23a – For the wages of sin is death,

 Everlasting o 2 Thessalonians 1:8-10 – 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might 10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.

Life (Heaven) (better than we can imagine)  Eternal o Romans 6:23b –but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. o John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Two Crowds We should be humbly grateful to be His people and heartbroken for those that are not.

Many  Enemies of the Cross o Philippians 3:18-19 – 18 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.

Few  God’s People o 1 Peter 2:9-10 - 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

CHOOSE LIFE Deuteronomy 30:19-20 – 19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Enter through the narrow gate!