Matthew 7:13-20

We invite you to take your copy of God's Word and turn to the Gospel according to Matthew chapter 7.

Matthew 7 · chapter mention

! We are bringing our study of the Sermon on the Mount to a close this week and Lord willing, next.

And today's text is Matthew chapter 7, verses 13 through 20.

Matthew 7:13–20

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are believers in the truth, we are lovers of the truth, and we should be proclaimers of the truth.

But in our age, if you want to find yourself unliked very quickly, dare to claim that you believe in a truth that deserves the belief of all people.

Denounce the idea that you can have your truth and I can have my truth.

Claim that there is such a thing as the truth, and you will be called narrow or arrogant.

Pluralistic relativism is antithetical to the truth.

It stands in opposition to it, but it does not and it cannot work in the world.

If what is right and pure and praiseworthy is not defined by truth, then it will be defined by power.

And in our day, those with the power seem to be those who are the loudest at declaring their truth.

Now at this point in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has concluded his teaching about his kingdom ethic.

And he has made bold, absolute truth claims.

He has been striking and clear about what citizens of the kingdom of heaven look like and act like.

At the very end of chapter 7, Matthew declares,

And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching,

for he was teaching them as one who had authority and not as their scribes.

In verse 13, Jesus, having concluded his teaching on his kingdom ethic,

presses an invitation to enter into that kingdom.

And he does not leave space for pluralistic relativism in matters concerning his kingdom.

So let's look together at Matthew chapter 7, verse 13 through 20.

Matthew 7:13–20

Beloved, let me remind you that this is God's word to us, written for his glory and our good.

We would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and to obey its commands.

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.

Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing,

but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

You will recognize them by their fruits.

Our grapes gather from thorn bushes or figs from thistles,

so every healthy tree bears good fruit,

but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.

A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.

Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Thus, you will recognize them by their fruits.

Now there are two exhortations in this text.

The first is found at the beginning of verse 13.

Jesus says,

Enter by the narrow gate.

And then gives reason why this should be the way for us.

The second is a warning to stay away from those who would keep you from entering by the narrow gate.

And it's found in verse 15,

where Jesus says,

Beware of false prophets.

So, enter and beware.

We assert as a church that access into the kingdom of God

is a thing that is granted to us by God.

Jesus is recorded in John chapter 6, verse 44,

John 6:44

saying,

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him,

and I will raise him up on the last day.

We are saved by grace alone.

But this reality does not preclude our action.

We are to enter and to beware.

And this is a binary decision.

It's either one or the other.

There are only two options presented for us in our text this morning.

You cannot have God and everlasting life on your terms.

You must have him and it on his terms.

Notice that Jesus says there are two gates,

two ways,

two destinations,

two people,

only two.

My prayer for you this morning,

and has been across this past week,

is that you will be careful to consider

which gate you have entered by,

which way you are in,

which destination your way leads to,

and which people you belong to.

There are only two choices.

Let's consider first the narrow gate,

the difficult way,

the destination called life,

and the few.

Jesus is the narrow gate.

This is the absolute truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

If one is to be reconciled to God the Father,

we must come through God the Son.

There is no other way.

Jesus said of himself in John chapter 14 and verse 6,

John 14 · chapter mention

I am the way,

and the truth,

and the life.

Not a way,

a truth,

a life.

The way,

the truth,

and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.

The Apostle Paul said something similar

in 1 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 5,

1 Timothy 2 · chapter mention

For there is one God,

and there is one mediator between God and man,

one who stands in the gap between us and God,

the man Christ, Jesus.

Jesus is the only way.

If this seems too narrow to you,

then you think far too much of yourself.

Those who have placed saving faith in Jesus Christ

have been humbled by the wretchedness of their sin

before a most holy God.

They have felt the weight of their rebellion

against God's good word

and are thankful that there is a way at all.

Praise God that there is a gate,

that it exists,

a way to God exists

for those who have rebelled wickedly against Him.

And that gate is Jesus Christ,

the way,

the truth,

and the life.

And our text tells us

that this narrow gate

leads us into a difficult way.

Jesus is not unclear

about the nature of the Christian life.

If you desire ease and comfort in this life,

there is a broad way for you.

But if you seek the coming kingdom

and the life found there,

the way will be difficult.

Jesus said in Matthew 16,

Matthew 16:24

verse 24 and verse 25,

If anyone would come after me,

let him deny himself

and take up his cross

and follow me.

For whoever would save his life,

broad way,

will lose it in his destruction.

But whoever loses his life,

difficult way,

for my sake,

will find it.

Where did Jesus go

when He carried His cross?

Did He take it to a place of ease and comfort?

No.

He went to a place called Golgotha

to die.

And He invites us to follow Him

in doing the same.

to deny ourselves.

To put to death by the power of the Spirit

sin in our lives.

To suffer for the glory of His name.

It should be normative

that disciples of Jesus Christ

will suffer as He suffered.

Listen to the words of Jesus

recorded in John 15,

John 15:18–20

verses 18-20.

Here He said to His apostles

and to us this morning,

If the world hates you,

know that it has hated Me

before it hated you.

If you were of the world,

the world would love you

as its own.

But because you are not of the world,

but I chose you out of the world,

therefore the world hates you.

Remember the word

that I said to you,

A servant is not greater

than his master.

If they persecuted Me,

they will also persecute you.

If they kept My word,

they will also keep yours.

But we far too often live

as if we're greater

than our master.

That Jesus' suffering and death

has set us up

for a life of comfort

and of ease.

And we should ask ourselves

if we're in the difficult way

or if we're in the easy way.

If we've entered by the narrow gate

to the difficult way.

Or if we've gone to the broad gate

to the broad and easy way.

We can see an example

of this kind of suffering

in following Jesus

found in the life of Paul

in Acts chapter 14.

Acts 14 · chapter mention

The story of Paul being stoned

at Lystra.

Verses 19 through 22.

Luke records for us,

But Jews came from Antioch

and Iconium,

and having persuaded the crowds,

they stoned Paul

and dragged him out of the city

supposing he was dead.

They stoned him to the point

that they thought he was dead,

and they took his body outside

to rot.

But when the disciples

gathered about him,

he rose up and entered

into the city.

And on the next day,

he went on with Barnabas

to Derbe.

When they had preached

the gospel to that city

and had made many disciples,

they returned to Lystra

and to Iconium

and to Antioch.

Back to the place

where everybody had heard

about the suffering

he had experienced

for the gospel.

And verse 22 says,

Strengthening the souls

of the disciples,

encouraging them

to continue in the faith.

And here's the peculiar part

of this text,

to us,

I think.

And saying

that through many tribulations

we must enter

the kingdom of God.

How is it that Paul

encouraged them

to continue in the faith

and told them

that through many tribulations

we must enter

the kingdom of God?

Wouldn't it be better

for Paul to tell them

to not worry?

That everything

is going to get better?

That having Jesus

in your life

improves the temporal existence

that you have now?

No.

This would not be the way

that these people

should be encouraged

because this is not the way

of the kingdom.

It is a difficult way.

It's not an easy way.

But he's able

to encourage them

with the promise

of the kingdom.

He's able to say to them,

yes, you suffer now

because you're a disciple

of Jesus Christ.

But later,

we look to the promise

of the future reward.

Remember the words

of Jesus in Matthew 16, 25,

which I read to you

just a moment ago.

Whoever loses his life

for my sake

will find it.

Find it.

The community group

that I lead

has been praying

for the work

of some brothers

and sisters in Pakistan

who have seen

an imam come to faith

in Jesus Christ.

Praise the Lord.

But this morning,

we received word

that his wife,

his children,

and three others

are now in Christ

because of his witness.

But also,

that he's been

kicked out of the mosque,

his Bible taken from him,

his children kicked out

of school,

and he has been hospitalized

from a beating,

a stoning.

How does one bear up

under such a thing?

By looking to the promise.

So this man knows

that it's better

for him to suffer now

and have a heavenly reward

that Jesus is more precious

than anything this world

would have to offer,

that he would gladly,

for the glory of God,

have such things happen

to his family.

Those who have Jesus

need nothing else.

Those who have tasted

and seen that the Lord is good

do not need the comfort

and ease of this world

and can look with hopeful expectation

to the life beyond this life.

Here's a closing word from Jesus

on the difficult way

found in Luke chapter 14

Luke 14 · chapter mention

beginning in verse 27

and following.

He says,

Whoever does not

bear his own cross

and come after me

cannot be

my disciple.

So,

what does it mean

for us

to pick up our cross,

to die to ourselves,

to suffer for the sake

of the name?

This is a thing

that should be counted.

And too many of us

grew up in churches

that taught us

a cheap grace gospel.

That did not tell us

that what Jesus demands

of us

is our all.

We were sold

an improper bill.

So,

he says,

count the cost.

Listen to what he says

in verse 28

and following.

For which of you

desiring to build a tower

does not first sit down

and count the cost,

whether he has enough

to complete it?

Otherwise,

when he has laid a foundation,

is not able to finish,

all who see it

will begin to mock him,

saying,

this man began

to build a tower

and was not able

to finish.

How foolish a thing.

Or what king,

going out to encounter

another king in war,

will not sit down first

and deliberate

whether he is able

with 10,000

to meet him

who comes against him

with 20,000.

So,

if you are to enter

by the narrow gate,

you do so

at great cost.

And you must

consider this.

If you are to follow

Jesus Christ,

it will cost you

everything.

Are you willing

to give everything

to follow

Jesus Christ?

I can tell you

that everything

we have to give

in the work

of following Jesus

is a trifling cost.

It is a nothing cost

compared to the riches

that are ours

in Christ.

If you have

experienced

the living God

and the personal

work of Jesus Christ,

if you have beheld

him,

it is an easy

trade

to make,

to give away

everything

for the sake

of his name.

So,

Jesus is

the narrow gate

and he leads

into a difficult

way

whose destination

is called

life.

life.

The destination

of this difficult

way is called

life.

Now

and

forever.

It is a quality

of life

in the soul

of man

that those

of this world

do not

and cannot

understand.

why would

this man

in Pakistan

trade the

favor of

his community,

his job,

possibly his

very life

to follow

this Jesus?

Because

he has

been changed

from death

to life.

Because he

has this

quality

of life

in his soul

knowing

his creator

that we

give up

everything

for it.

This is

the life

that David

speaks of

in Psalm

Psalms 17:15

17

verse 15

where he

writes,

As for me

I shall

behold

your face

in righteousness.

When I

awake I

shall be

satisfied

with your

likeness.

Those who

are in

Christ

have his

presence,

his power

and his

provision

and this

is good.

And it

will be

the great

blessing

of heaven

forevermore.

Do you

know the

life

everlasting

for us

is that

we get

more

of our

Savior?

That we

get to

bask in

his glory

forever

and ever

and ever?

You can

imagine a

heaven without

the glory

of God?

You have

a wrong

view of

heaven.

If you

would have

all the

blessings

of heaven

apart from

God,

then you

don't love

God.

He is the

center of

all that is

happening

in the

forever

of our

living.

Jesus

said in

John 14

John 14:2

verses 2

and 3,

in my

Father's

house are

many

rooms.

If it

were not

so,

would I

have told

you that

I go

to prepare

a place

for you?

And if

I go

and prepare

a place

for you,

I will

come again

and do

what?

Take us

to a

place

where we're

just going

to be

happy

and play

and there's

going to be

streets of

gold and

all of these

things are

going to

be wonderful,

those things

are going

to be

wonderful,

those things

are going

to be

true,

but what

does he

say?

And take

you to

myself,

that where

I am,

you may

be also.

There's the

great blessing

of life

now and

life forever

more.

Being with

the triune

God is

the high

promise

of heaven.

And beloved,

we experience

that in

part now.

The baggage

of our

flesh and

the sin

of the

world,

the coming

kingdom is

being made

real and

alive in

us who

have placed

our faith

in Jesus

Christ.

The narrow

gate leads

to a

difficult

way whose

destination

is life

now and

forever

more.

There's

also a

people who

Jesus here

calls the

few.

The few.

Some will

say,

well that

seems so

exclusive.

And how

can I

know if

I am

the few?

What about

people in

the world

who have

not heard

this message?

Not heard

of Jesus?

Jesus.

Once again,

you may

think too

much of

yourself.

You may

think too

much of

humankind.

God has

proved himself

gracious and

merciful in

saving even

one sinner.

If God

came and

simply saved

a single

human in

fallen history,

he would

show himself

to be far

and above

gracious and

merciful.

We could

ever expect

of him.

Listen to

Jesus'

answer to

a very

similar

question.

This idea

of, well

that seems

a scoofer,

how can I

know if I'm

the few?

In Luke

Luke 13:23

chapter 13

verse 23

and 24,

someone said

to him,

Luke records,

Lord will

those who

are saved

be few?

And I

love Jesus'

answer to

this.

He doesn't

go, well

let's talk

about the

number.

He says

to this

person,

strive to

enter through

the narrow

door.

For many

I tell you

will seek

to enter

and will

not be

able.

Strive.

That's the

answer.

God is

gracious and

merciful.

God has

made a

way.

Strive to

enter by

that way.

Strive.

Seek the

way.

Be counted

amongst the

few.

And allow

me to

expound upon

the grace

and mercy

of our

God from

the book

of Revelation.

So as we

maybe grapple

a little

with this

idea of

few and

many,

find this

a comfort.

John's

vision of

heaven.

Revelation

Revelation 7:9

chapter 7

verse 9

and following

John says

after this I

looked and

behold a

great multitude

that no one

could number

from every

nation,

from all

tribes and

peoples and

languages,

standing before

the throne and

before the

Lamb clothed

in white

robes with

palm branches

in their

hands and

crying out

with a loud

voice,

salvation belongs

to our God

who sits on

the throne

and to the

Lamb.

There's a

great multitude

gathered in

heaven.

And so I

don't know.

I think that

Jesus is using

this language

to press us

to strive,

right?

To help us

to look around

at all the

ways that

people are

going in the

world and

see that as

the broad

and not the

narrow.

And to seek

to enter by

the narrow

gate.

And there are

many cries

against this

teaching.

The exclusivity

of the

gospel.

It says

that people

must come

to God

by Christ.

It goes

something like,

how can a

loving God

wants to

answer with,

well,

there's many

ways.

We're to

seek our

way.

We're to

find our

way.

Many

contemporaries

of our day

say things

like this.

Our answer

to such

objection

should be,

oh,

but there

is a

way.

Praise God.

It's a

single way,

but there

is a

way.

And we

should go

and share

that way

with everyone

everywhere.

I've received

this objection,

somebody

rejecting the

gospel,

when I'm

sharing the

gospel with

them.

And that's

what I've

said.

I've simply

said,

but I'm

telling you

the way.

And you

have to

understand.

And people

who are not

followers of

Christ should

have great

sympathy for

Christians

because we're

simply being

consistent if

we try to

convert people

to follow

Jesus,

who said,

I'm the

way,

the truth,

and the

life.

We are

the worst

of hypocrites.

If we

believe that

to be true,

we don't

tell people

that good

news.

Paul says

in Romans

Romans 10:14

chapter 10,

verse 14

and following,

how then

will they

call on him

in whom

they have

not

believed?

It's rhetorical.

They can't.

And how

are they to

believe in

him of whom

they have

never heard?

Again,

rhetorical.

They can't.

And how

are they to

hear without

someone

preaching?

They can't.

The word of

God has to

come to

people to

believe in

Christ.

And how

are they to

preach unless

they are

sent?

They can't.

as it is

written,

how beautiful

are the feet

of those

who preach

the good

news.

But they

have not

all obeyed

the gospel

for Isaiah

says,

Lord,

who has

believed

what he

has heard

from us?

And then

verse 17

says,

so faith

comes from

hearing,

and hearing

through the

word of

Christ.

Jesus Christ

is the way,

the truth,

and the life.

He's the

narrow way,

leads to a

difficult path,

path,

whose

destination

is life.

Now let's

consider the

wide gate,

the easy

way,

the destination

called

destruction,

and the

many.

We can do

this a bit

more briefly

because we're

talking about

everything else

that I haven't

mentioned

already.

Recall

that all

throughout the

Sermon on

the Mount,

Jesus has

not been

speaking against

a godlessness

that denies

the existence

of a god.

His original

audience are not

people who

denied that

there was

a god,

but rather

a godlessness

that worshipped

the right god,

but in the

wrong way.

He is

specifically

going after

the Phariseeism

of his day.

and I

would suggest

to you

the pluralistic

relativism

of our

day.

He is

teaching us

that there

are countless

wrong ways

to worship

the right

god,

as well as

countless

wrong ways

to worship

the wrong.

The destination

sign over the

difficult way

over the

difficult way

says heaven.

We enter the

narrow gate

over the

difficult way

says destination

heaven.

The destination

sign over the

easy way

does not

say hell,

but also

says heaven.

heaven.

Jesus makes

it clear

that if we

do not

enter the

difficult way

by the

narrow gate,

that we

will be

deceived into

thinking that

we are

headed to

life,

but that we

are in

actuality

headed to

destruction.

The one

who reigns

over the

broad and

easy path,

Satan

himself

puts up

that destination

sign.

Oh,

there are

many ways

to heaven.

It could

look like

this or

this or

this.

And the

end is

destruction.

Proverbs

14.12

says there

is a way

that seems

right to

a man,

but its

end is

the way

to death.

I'm so

thankful

that God

has humbled

me and

helped me

to know

that there

is nothing

good within

me and I

must look

without me.

I must

look to

Christ.

I must

find the

answer to

the way

of life

from him,

not from

myself.

Now,

I would

like to

illustrate

the

broad

path

for you

with a

reading from

the

Pilgrim's

Progress.

So,

I hope you

got a

bulletin in

your hands.

You can

flip it

over.

You're

going to

see a

lot of

stuff on

the back

of it.

As I

said in

the welcome,

this is a

book that

everybody should

read.

You can

find modern

English versions

of it if

this language

is scary

to you.

It was

written by

a man named

John Bunyan,

the pastor,

in 1678.

He began

the writing

of this

work while

he was in

prison.

He was

on the

difficult

way.

He was

in prison

for preaching

the gospel

of Jesus

Christ.

He wasn't

sanctioned by

the state

to be a

preacher,

but he did

it anyway

because for

him to be

sanctioned by

the state

he would

have to

not

preach

the gospel

of Jesus

Christ.

In fact,

when he was

thrown in

prison he

would stand

out in the

courtyard and

preach and

people would

gather around

the prison

walls to

hear John

Bunyan

preach.

And so

they put

him in a

cellar.

A dank

dungeness

part of

the prison.

And he

had with

him a

Bible and

he had a

copy of

in his

day the

version of

Fox's Book

of Martyrs

in his

day.

These were

the two

things that

were a

comfort to

him in

that place.

And he

began to

write the

story that

we call

The Pilgrim's

Progress which

is about the

journey of

a man named

Christian and

later his

wife whose

name is

Christiana.

Where we

are in

the story

he's come

through a

narrow gate

it's called

in the story

the Wicker

Gate.

It's a

wooden gate

that he's

come through.

He's carrying

this burden

of sin on

his back and

he goes to

the cross

where the

burden falls

off.

He's given

some things

in the process

of that.

One of them

we're going to

see in our

reading is a

cloak that's

given to him

to cover his

nakedness.

He's clothed

in Christ.

And he

meets two

characters as

he's traveling

on his way

to what Bunyan

calls the

celestial city

and you'll

see them

call it

Mount Zion

here in

our text.

So we

begin.

He,

this is

Christian,

espied two

men come

tumbling over

the wall on

the left hand

of the narrow

way.

So they

didn't come

by the narrow

gate.

They've come

tumbling over

the wall

and they

made up

a pace

to him.

The name

of the one

was formalist.

That's a person

who keeps

very carefully

the law.

And the name

of the other

was hypocrisy.

One who says

they do but

in actuality

don't.

Formalist

and hypocrisy.

So as I

said,

they drew up

unto him

who thus

entered with

them into

discourse.

They started

talking.

That's what

that means.

Gentlemen,

whence came

you and

whither go

you?

We were

born in

the land

of vain

glory and

are going

for praise

to Mount

Zion.

Why came

you not

in at the

gate which

standeth at

the beginning

of the way?

Know you

not that it

is written

that he

that cometh

not in

by the

door but

climbeth up

some other

way the

same as

a thief

and a

robber?

They said

that to go

to the

gate for

entrance was

by all

their

countrymen

counted

too far

about

and that

therefore

their usual

way was

to make

a shortcut

of it

and to

climb over

the wall

as they

had done.

Will it

not be

counted

a trespass

against the

lord of

the city

whither we

are bound

thus to

violate

his revealed

will?

They told

him that

as for

that

he needed

not to

trouble

his head

thereabout

for what

they did

they had

custom

for

and could

produce

if need

were

testimony

that

would

witness

it

for

more

than

a

thousand

years.

At this

point do we

know what

Bunyan is

talking about?

He's talking

about Roman

Catholicism.

He's talking

about religious

practice.

And hear this

for yourself

this morning

if you're

asking the

question

have I

gone through

the narrow

gate

place

saving

faith

in the

personal

work of

Jesus

Christ

or am I

merely going

through the

religious

rites?

Coming here

does not

save your

soul

brothers and

sisters

placing faith

in Jesus

Christ

for the

salvation

of your

soul

is what

saves

your

soul.

So we

have

for more

than a

thousand

years

this is

the way

that people

have been

getting

into the

ways

what they

say

but

said

Christian

will

your

practice

stand

a

trial

at

law?

They

told him

that

custom

being of

so long

standing

as above

a thousand

years

would

doubtless

now be

admitted

as a

thing

legal

by any

impartial

judge

and

besides

said

they

if we

get

into

the

way

what's

the

matter

which

way

we

get

in

if we

are

in

we

are

in

thou

art

but

in

the

way

who

as

we

perceive

came

in

at

the

gate

we

are

also

in

the

way

that

came

tumbling

!

where

in

now

is

thy

condition

better

than

ours

and

this

is

the

question

of

pluralistic

relativism

right

and the

answer

Jesus

is saying

you must

worship

the right

God

and you

must

worship

him

rightly

no one

can come

to the

father

but by

me

right

Christian

says

I walk

by the

rule

of my

master

you

walk

by

the

rude

working

of

your

fancies

you

are

counted

thieves

already

by the

Lord

of

the

way

therefore

I

doubt

you

will

not

be

found

true

men

at

the

end

of

the

way

you

come

in

by

yourselves

without

his

direction

and

shall

go

out

by

yourselves

without

his

mercy

Christian's

a

not a

weenie

guy

to

this

they

made

him

but

little

answer

only

they

bid

him

to

look

to

that

these

two

men

told

Christian

that

as

to

laws

and

ordinances

they

doubted

not

but

they

should

be

as

conscientiously

do

them

as

he

therefore

said

they

we

see

not

wherein

thou

differest

from

us

but

by

the

coat

that

is

on

thy

back

which

was

as

we

trow

given

thee

by

some

of

thy

neighbors

to

hide

the

shame

of

thy

nakedness

so

they're

saying

is

we

keep

the

law

just

as

you

keep

the

law

the

only

difference

between

us

and

you

is

you're

wearing

this

coat

which

we

understand

from a

reading

of the

pilgrimage

progress

is the

righteousness

of

Christ

and

Christian

says

by

laws

and

ordinances

you

will

not

be

saved

since

you

came

not

in

by

the

door

and

they

have

a

little

more

interchange

and

shortly

they

come

in

the

story

to

a

hill

!

difficult

and

the

narrow

path

goes

straight

up

the

hill