Matthew 7:13-14

you Our text this morning as we're continuing

our study of Matthew, the son of Matthew chapter

Matthew 7 · chapter mention

7, we're at the end of the Sermon on the Mount.

We'll be looking at two verses this morning,

verses 13 and 14. Jesus, speaking there on that

day, said, Enter by the narrow gate, for wide

is the gate and broad is the way that leads to

destruction. And there are many who go in by

it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult

is the way which leads to life. And there are

few who find it. Let's pray. Lord, this is once

again, Lord, a difficult text, a sobering text.

Father, there's a narrow way that leads to life

and there's a broad way that leads to destruction.

God, help us this morning to understand what

our Lord meant. And Lord God, help us to be wise

unto salvation. Lord, this morning we pray this

in Jesus' name. Amen. The road that you are on

will always determine your destination. You know

that. If you're on the wrong road, you will always

end up in the wrong place. For example, if I

wanted to head to New York City and I went out

here and I got in my car, and as soon as I started

traveling, I headed south. I'm never going to

arrive at my intended destination. Because where

you end up will be determined by the road that

you take. That is not only true physically, but

it is also true spiritually. And this is what

our Lord was getting at. Your eternal destination

is determined by which road, which path, which

way that you take in life. So the question I

would like to pose this morning at the very outset

is what road are you on? See, in this brief passage,

just these two verses, we see there are four

groupings of two. There are two gates. There's

a wide one and a narrow one. There are two different

ways. A broad way, wide, and a difficult way.

There are two destinations. One will end in destruction,

and by the way, eternal destruction. And the

other ends in life. And there are two different

groups. There are the many who enter at the broad

way and the few who enter into the narrow way.

So what determines which road you're on. If the

road determines the destination, what determines

the road? It's the decisions you make. And we

know that life is full of decisions, and they

range from the mundane and trivial to life -giving,

life -changing, and profound. All of us make

decisions all day long. For example, we decide

what to wear and what to eat, whether to marry

or not, who to marry, where to work, if we're

going to study, what career. Where will we live?

What will we spend our money on? All kinds of

choices like that lie before us. Now, obviously

saying that, some of these decisions, some of

these choices are more important than others.

But none is as important as the decision that

is put before us today in Matthew chapter 7,

Matthew 7:13

verses 13 and 14. Jesus said there's only one

narrow road to eternal life. And he went further.

He said, and by the way, that road is fraught

with difficulty. It's a narrow gate, and it's

a hard road. His message, though, when we speak

about that there's one narrow road that leads

to life. Now, if we were to say that today and

we were on any news circuit, that message in

itself would be anathema to our pluralistic culture.

Because they believe, for example, they would

say, well, God's like on a mountaintop, and there

are many different roads you can take to get

to the top of the mountain. Yet it was the Son

of God himself. And he said there is one road.

It is extremely narrow and it's the only one

that leads to eternal life. Now we're at the

end of the Sermon on the Mount. This is the climax

that the Lord has been leading up to throughout

this whole entire sermon. So he's been making

a contrast because keep in mind the religious

leaders, the scribes and Pharisees are present

there. So he's been contrasting the false external

righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. These

should have been the ones leading people to Christ.

Leading people in true worship of God. He's contrasting

their hypocrisy with the true internal righteousness

that the kingdom of God demands. Now, this sermon

was given at the beginning of his earthly ministry.

That means that his death and resurrection are

still a couple years away. But even now, he's

preaching about a narrow gate leading to a narrow

hard way, and it is the one that ends an eternal

life. Now we don't have to guess what the analogy

is referring to. Christ himself is the narrow

way. He is letting his people, Israel, because

that's who's gathered there. He's letting Israel

know very clearly that the king, the king of

Israel had come, the messianic age had dawned,

and now they were to follow him. He's the narrow

way. But he began in the sermon in chapter 5,

and he describes the character of the people.

Who will be in his kingdom? Who comprises the

kingdom of God? Jesus said, first of all, in

Matthew 5 .3, he said the poor in spirit. They

are the ones who mourn over their sins. Blessed

are they who mourn. Blessed are the meek. Blessed,

happy are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.

Blessed are the merciful. The pure in heart.

Blessed are they who seek peace. Blessed are

the peacemakers. And finally, he says, blessed

are they who are willing to suffer persecution

for the cause of righteousness. He goes on and

he says, God's people in Matthew 6, second part

of the chapter. He says, God's people are they

who are going to give and they're going to pray

and they're going to fast, but they're going

to do it authentically. They're going to do it

in secret as opposed to the hypocrisy of the

religious leaders who loved the praise of men,

who sought for people to see them as they were

praying and giving and fasting. He goes on in

verse 33 of chapter 6. He said, God's people

are they who seek him and his kingdom first.

They're the ones who ask and seek and knock for

grace and mercy in their lives. And now we're

at the end of the sermon. And just as any good

preacher does, he's asked those who are gathered

there listening to him to make a decision. To

make a decision on what they've just heard. They

had to make a choice. To remain neutral to Christ,

to remain neutral to his message was not an option.

But God has always called his people to make

a decision concerning himself. There's always

been just two choices. And you see that even

as we go back to the Old Testament. Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 30:19

chapter 30 verse 19. Moses here. I call heaven

and earth as witnesses today against you. God

speaking to his people. I have set before you

life and death. blessing and cursing. Therefore,

choose life that both you and your descendants

may live. 1 Kings chapter 18. You have Elijah

1 Kings 18 · chapter mention

here. He says, how long are you going to falter?

How long are you going to halt between two decisions?

If the Lord is God, we'll follow him. And if

Baal will be God, follow him. But make up your

mind. Choose. The prophet Jeremiah. Here's what

the Lord said. Behold, I set before you the way

of life. And the way of death. Two choices. Life

or death. Blessing or cursing. And now the Lord

Jesus has come. He's the Messiah sent from heaven.

And he's calling for a response. But he issues

a warning. A failure to respond would also be

catastrophic. Those who heard him must make a

decision. Why? The king was present. The king

had come. He's offering to them the kingdom.

Are they going to enter in? But he said, if you're

going to enter, it's only by one narrow way,

and that's it. Now, contrary to what many believe

today, our Lord was not simply speaking about

people following the ethic of his kingdom. Because

there are many today who pay lip service, especially

you see this in political speeches. I don't know

if you've ever noticed, but politicians on both

sides of the aisle will often reference the Sermon

on the Mount. And they like the ethic that Jesus

espoused. They even believe that the world would

be a better place if everyone lived by the Sermon

on the Mount. Of course, that's true. The world

would be better if everyone lived by the Golden

Rule, which is what we looked at last week. If

everyone did to others as they would like for

others to do to them. But friends, they're missing

the point of the sermon. Jesus is not merely

trying to get people to live by a better ethic.

He is actually setting before them life. He is

speaking about eternal salvation. He's speaking

about the narrow way that leads into it. He said

there's only a few of you who are listening who

are going to make that choice and enter into

life, and many of you are listening and you're

going to enter into eternal destruction. Friends,

our ears ought to perk up at that. The Son of

God is saying many that day will go to hell,

is what he's saying. What makes the difference

there? What makes the difference between life

and death, life and destruction? It's the way

you respond to Jesus. The true question is, what

will you do with Jesus? Now, you have to keep

in mind the context. You always should do that.

The context is all those who were listening to

Jesus that day, all of them were Jewish. He was

preaching to Israel. So you have there, some

were already disciples. But you also had in that

group some who were just curious. They were yet

undecided about Jesus. They liked what he said.

They liked some of the things they saw, but they

had not made up their mind. And then there were

also some who were opposed to Jesus. The religious

leaders, the scribes and Pharisees, were also

there eavesdropping on what Jesus was saying.

Now, since they were Jews, the prevailing thought

among Israel that day was that they were already

right with God. They were in covenant with him.

They believed that they were already citizens

in God's kingdom because they were the sons of

Abraham. In fact, they bore the sign of covenant,

which was circumcision. And here you have an

itinerant preacher from some podunk town, Nazareth,

coming along and telling them, despite your ancestry,

despite your lineage, despite being circumcised,

despite being Jews, Only a few of you all will

enter into the kingdom and many of you all will

be shut out. Why would so many not enter? This

is the answer. The king had come. The king was

present. And most of Israel, most of the people

would reject him. John said so in his gospel,

John 1 .11. He, Jesus, came to his own and his

own received him not. His own did not receive

him. Entrance, folks, into the kingdom of God

is determined by how one responds to Christ.

You will either bow before him, confessing him

as Lord, or you ignore him or outright reject

him to your own peril. In our passage this morning,

the first thing to observe are the two gates.

Two gates are right there, Jesus said. There's

a big wide one and there's a very narrow one.

And he's commanding the people. It's a command,

an imperative here. Enter into the narrow gate,

verse 13. Enter by the narrow gate. Don't stop

outside of it and look at it. Don't admire the

gate. He says you've got to walk through it.

But in addition to the narrow gate, there is

a very wide gate, a broad one there. And it's

more than capable of accommodating all the people

at one time. It's extraordinarily broad. Now,

what is that narrow gate? Thankfully, you and

I don't have to wonder. We don't have to guess.

It is very clearly revealed. In John chapter

John 10:9

10, verse 9, Jesus said, I am the door. I am

the gate. If anyone enters by me, he will be

saved. John 14, 6, Jesus says, I am the way,

the truth, and the life. No man comes to the

Father but by me. John 10, John 14, these verses

give clarity. They clarify the narrow gate that

Jesus is referring to in Matthew 7, 13, and 14

was himself. Christ is the gate. The way to heaven

is as narrow as the Lord Jesus. The way to eternal

life is as narrow as Christ himself. Now he's

speaking to Israel. The Jews should have understood

that he was their Messiah sent from God. I mean,

after all, he performed mighty miracles. He did

wonder signs before them. I mean, he's cleansing

lepers. He's giving sight to the blind, hearing

to the deaf. On some occasions, he even raised

the dead. He was the promised king. But most

of them could not see him for who he truly was.

Why? I mean, if he's doing all those things,

why couldn't they see him for who he was? Because

they had a certain expectation and Jesus did

not fit the bill of how they thought the Messiah

would come. He did not look like a king. Isaiah

53, he has no form or comeliness. He's not good

looking. And when we see him, there's no beauty

that we should desire him. There's nothing attractive,

nothing compelling about his person. In fact,

he's despised, rejected by men. Christ did not

come with pomp and circumstance as great kings

often do. Instead, he came in obscurity, clothed

in humility. But it wasn't just his look. It

was also his doctrine, his teaching. What he

was teaching often conflicted with the kingdom

expectations of the people at that time. What

did they think the Messiah was going to do? Well,

he's going to come, and since Rome is ruling

over them in their land, They thought, man, this

great political deliverer is going to come. He's

going to free us from Roman occupation, and he

will establish a prosperous Jewish kingdom in

its place. But what was Jesus preaching? Matthew

5, blessed are the meek. Blessed are the merciful.

Blessed are they who seek peace and pursue it.

What? He's never going to get rid of Rome. And

the Jews stumbled over him. They did not see

him as the Christ. That's the narrow gate. But

on the other hand, there's that wide gate. And

by the way, that wide gate is always open. This

is the gate that ignores Jesus. It doesn't even

have to outright reject him. It just ignores

him. The wide gate requires no repentance. It

requires no faith. To enter into the wide gate,

you don't have to do anything except be born.

And you'll be traveling it. But to enter the

narrow gate, this is key, to enter into that

narrow gate, you have to see your own spiritual

poverty. Matthew 5 .3, this is the key. Blessed,

mercadios, happy. Happy are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom

of heaven belongs to the poor in spirit. Now,

if the kingdom of heaven belongs to the poor

in spirit, I want to know what it means to be

poor in spirit. This is to understand that you

have nothing to offer to God. They, the Jews,

they had to understand this, that despite being

Jews, they were still sinners. They still needed

to repent. They still needed the mercy of God.

But the word on the street was that the Jews

did not need to repent. Oh, yeah, there's wicked,

pagan, dirty Gentiles did. Of course they need

to repent, but not us. We're the chosen people

of God. And the irony was that the chosen people

of God could not see the Messiah who was sent

from God. So most of them, especially those hearing

him, they decided to stay on that broad way that

led to destruction. Because there's two gates,

one wide, one narrow, and the narrow one's Christ

himself. Now that message does not need to debate

it. We don't debate it. We just need to preach

it, proclaim it, herald it. That's it. We're

not going to debate the claims of Christ. There's

one narrow gate because there's only one mediator

between God and man. Just one. 1 Timothy 2 .5

For there is one God and one mediator, the man

Christ Jesus. That's it. We must proclaim that.

But how do you know that you're on this road

and in the narrow gate? What's going to be the

sign there that's showing us anything? And this

is key as well. The sign that shows us the narrow

gate will always be the sign of repentance. Outside

that narrow gate, I believe, is a big sign saying

repent. Why do I say that? Because remember John

the Baptist, when he comes on the scene, he's

the forerunner of the Messiah. What was his message?

Preaching to Israel. Matthew 3, 2, repent, for

the kingdom of heaven is at hand. He's the forerunner,

and he's telling Israel, you need to repent.

He introduces Jesus one chapter later. Jesus

begins to preach to Israel. What was he preaching?

Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

It's here. The king's here. Peter, also preaching

to Israel. What did he preach? Acts 2 .38. Repent.

Let every one of you be baptized in the name

of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. Paul,

after he was gloriously saved, he began to preach.

What did he preach? Acts 20. testifying to the

Jews and also to the Gentiles, to the Greeks,

repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord

Jesus Christ. The message was undeniable. Israel

needed to repent. Now with all that being true,

today I find it incredible that there are some

preachers who say that we do not need to preach

repentance. They believe that you'll enter into

the kingdom of God without it. And that's a damnable

lie. That's a broad lie. road that leads to destruction.

If you are going to enter into the kingdom of

God, you must repent. You must. You must repent

of your sin. You give up your attempts at self

-justification. You know you can't do it. Self

-indulgence, self -confidence, self -satisfaction,

and particularly self -righteousness. It's got

to go. Remember the poor in spirit? That means

you see yourself as Poverty stricken, spiritually

speaking. You are a bankrupt sinner. And as we

just sang, you've got to run to Christ. Friends,

once your eyes are open, the Holy Spirit shows

you your eyes are open, and you see your true

condition before God, you will want to run to

Christ. Who else are you going to run to? The

narrow gate, though. It's not some easy believism.

Easy believism says, and this is how they evangelize,

you just go out to people and you real quickly,

you share a few verses and you say, hey, you

want to go to heaven? You want to enter in the

kingdom of God? Then pray this prayer. And then,

by the way, if you pray this prayer and you really

meant it, well, you have eternal life regardless

of what you do from this point forward. What

could be easier than a simple prayer without

repentance? That's the way to destruction. Jesus

said, unless you repent, you will all likewise

perish. Repentance leads us to leave our sin

behind and run to the solution for sin, which

is Jesus himself. Martin Lloyd -Jones, the great

doctor, he said, the gospel of Jesus Christ openly

and uncompromisingly announces itself as being

something which starts with a narrow entrance,

a straight, and that's the King James word there,

gate. Two gates. You open them, they lead to

two roads. A very wide, broad road. And then

my text is a difficult road. The narrow gate,

you open it, and what lies before you is a difficult

road. Verse 14. Because narrow is a gate and

difficult is the way which leads to life. That

word difficult, it's the Greek word phlebo, and

it literally means narrow, but it means this.

It's pressed in. It's the idea of persecuted.

It's literally what it means. So the idea of

a road that is philebo is that you are being

squeezed. You're like in a vice grip. Trials

of life are pressing in upon you. Life is hard.

Life is hard on this road. The Lord never ever

hid what being a disciple of his cost. He said,

if you're going to follow me, it's going to be

difficult. Matthew 8. When he had called the

people to himself with disciples, he said to

them, Whoever desires to come after me, let him

deny himself and take up his cross and follow

me. For whoever desires to save his life, you're

going to lose it. But whoever loses his life

for my sake and the gospels will save it. Again,

we have to remember, what's the context? Jesus

is speaking to the Jewish nation. If the Jews

confess Christ as Messiah, it would cost them

something. Why? Because remember those scribes

and Pharisees, those hypocrites? They had already

determined that Jesus was an imposter. They had

already prejudged him as a charlatan, a fake.

And they said, if any Jew starts to say that

this one, Jesus, is the Messiah, he needs to

be excommunicated from religious life. Kick him

out of the temple. Kick him out of the synagogue.

And we read about that in John 16, by the way.

These things, Jesus said, I have spoken to you

that you should not be made to stumble. Don't

be surprised. They will put you out of the synagogues.

Yes, the time is coming. Now listen to this.

Whoever kills you will think that he offers God

service. Whoever kills you will think that he's

doing God's will. That's the Apostle Paul before

being converted. Verse 3. And these things they

will do to you because they have not known the

Father nor me. The Jews don't know God the Father

or him, he said. John 9 .22. They had already

agreed that if anyone confessed that he, Jesus,

was Christ. Bye -bye. Get him out. He's out of

the synagogue. So that meant to follow Jesus

cost them something. It was certain suffering.

They would be excluded from temple worship. They

would be excluded from any synagogue where they

might live. They would be ostracized from the

community that they had always enjoyed and known.

And by the way, they would face tremendous physical

danger. But remember what the Lord said to them

in this sermon? Go back to Matthew 5 .10. Blessed

are those who are persecuted for righteousness

sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. It

belongs to you. To identify with Jesus is to

invite ridicule, to invite scorn, and to invite

persecution. The way was difficult, but it was

worth it because it led to life. He says, don't

worry. Yes, you're going to suffer, but the kingdom's

yours. The kingdom of heaven is yours. You go

through the book of Acts and then you start to

see the church develop and you'll see that those

Jews who did follow Christ, those few who chose

him, Matthew 7, 14, they did face intense persecution

from their own countrymen. The original persecutors

of the church was not Rome, it was the Jews.

In Acts chapter 7, you see Stephen, the first

Acts 7 · chapter mention

martyr of the church. Here's a Jew preaching

to Jews and they took up rocks and hurled him

till he died. In Acts chapter 8 we read, at that

Acts 8 · chapter mention

time a great persecution rose against the church

at Jerusalem. Acts chapter 9, this is the apostle

Acts 9 · chapter mention

Paul before he was saved. Chapter 9 verse 1,

Saul still breathing threats and murder against

the disciples of the Lord. Acts 14, now Saul,

now Paul, he's gloriously converted, he's now

preaching. And he goes with Barnabas and he's

preaching to the Jewish churches. And he says,

the Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there.

I got ahead of myself. Having persuaded the multitudes,

they stoned Paul. They dragged him out of the

city, supposing to be dead. Paul, who had murdered

Christians, is now apparently the subject of

murder. Of course, he gets up. We don't know,

did he really die? Some say, yes, we don't know.

But we do know this, he was raised again. Perhaps,

maybe he didn't die. But anyways. He and Barnabas

now, they go back on a preaching tour. And then

verse 22 says, here's what they're preaching

to the churches. Strengthening the souls of the

disciples. Why do you need to strengthen them?

They're weak. Why are they weak? They're just

a small group being ruthlessly persecuted. And

they're exhorting them to continue in the faith.

Why exhorting them to continue in the faith?

Life is hard. That's what the book of Hebrews

is all about. Man, life is hard. They want to

go back to Judaism. He said, don't do that. And

here's what he said. We must, through many tribulations,

enter the kingdom of God. Through many tribulations.

You know what the word tribulations is? Flipsis.

The same word you saw in Matthew 7 about difficult.

Through many trials, through many difficulties,

the disciple will enter into the kingdom. The

road of a disciple is not for the faint of heart,

friends. Our Lord has never promised it. He never

said you will have your best life now. He never

promised you an easy journey. Not once. In Luke

Luke 14:26

chapter 14 verse 26. He says if anyone comes

to me. And does not hate father and mother. Wife

and children. Brothers and sisters in his own

life also. He cannot be my disciple. Verse 27.

Whoever does not bear his cross and come after

me. He cannot be my disciple. Verse 33. So likewise

whoever of you does not forsake all that he has.

Cannot be my disciple. And we pray. Pray with

me. See, this way, friends, it's difficult. It's

not attractive. But for those whose eyes have

been opened by the Holy Spirit to see the glory

of Christ, the way is compelling. I've got to

go that way. It's not attractive. It doesn't

look good. But that's the road I've got to take.

This is what Peter confessed, and I've been reading

a lot of scriptures, which I don't typically

do, but I love what Peter confessed. Do you remember

in John 6, Jesus preached a hard message about

you have to eat his flesh and drink his blood,

and many people walked away from him, beginning

in verse 65. Jesus then says, hey, therefore

I've said to you that no one can come to me unless

it's been granted to him by my Father. From that

time, many of his disciples went back and walked

no more with him. They didn't like what Jesus

was saying. Verse 67. Then he looks at the 12.

Do you also want to go away? Because I'm not

changing the message. Simon Peter answered him,

I love this. Lord, to whom shall we go? You have

the words of eternal life. Also, we have come

to believe and know that you are the Christ,

the son of the living God. Do you see what Peter

was saying? Once you see Christ as Lord, once

you see him as glorious, you know there is nowhere

else to turn. That way may be difficult, that

way may be hard, but it is compelling because

Jesus Christ alone has the words of life. I will

follow that road. Nominal Christians, Christians

in name only, they will walk on the narrow road

for just so long because when it really starts

to squeeze them in, when it really gets hard,

they're going to forsake the narrow way. That's

John 6. They turned around. They want an easier

life. I can't do this anymore. In Hebrews 10,

they lost homes and lost lands, and it said they

accepted it joyfully, knowing that in heaven

they had a better and enduring possession. Warren

Wiersbe said, many people who trust Jesus Christ,

supposedly trust, no, that's in quotes, they

never leave the broad road with its appetites

and associations. They have an easy Christianity

that makes no demands on them. That's not Christianity.

Jesus said the narrow way was hard. You cannot

walk on two roads in two different directions

at the very same time. You don't get Jesus in

the world, folks. John MacArthur says we can

pay nothing for salvation, amen, yet coming to

Jesus Christ costs everything we have, amen.

Two truths at the same time. Two gates, they

lead to two roads and they arrive at two different

destinations. That broad gate with a wide gate,

with a wide road leads to destruction. And by

the way, the destruction is, it's eternal damnation.

We're talking hell. It looks easy. It looks attractive.

There's a way that looks attractive to man, isn't

there? It's not marked. By the way, it's not

marked with a sign that says, road to hell. No

one would enter that. In fact, I believe it probably

has a sign out there saying, highway to heaven.

Because that's what the deceiver does. That's

what Satan does. There is a way that seems right

to a man, Proverbs 14, 12, but the in thereof

are the ways of death. You cannot trust your

eyes. It looks right. It says it's right. And

Jesus said, you go down that road, friend, you

will be separated from God forever. Why? Why?

Because it bypasses the cross of Christ. And

that's the only way to be reconciled with God.

There's a narrow gate, difficult way, leading

to life. Why? Because it takes you to Christ.

1 John 5, 12. He who has the Son has life. And

whoever it be who does not have the Son of God

does not have life. Could anything be clearer?

Do we need to exegete that verse? You know what

it means in Greek? Whoever has the Son has life.

Whoever does not have the Son does not have life.

It is marked with pain, suffering. It's difficult.

But it ends in eternal life. We're not earning

heaven because we suffer. We're not earning heaven

because we suffer tribulation. Rather, it is

the way of the cross. He said, friends, if they

persecuted me, they will also persecute you.

You're not greater than your Lord. If they hated

me, they will hate you. But it is God's grace

that causes us to want to enter into that narrow

gate and travel the difficult way. Two gates,

two roads, two destinations, and lastly, two

groups of people. You have the many and the few.

Many who heard Jesus preach that day. Can you

imagine the incredible opportunity hearing the

Son of God preach? The greatest preacher, the

greatest sermon, and yet they decided to stay

on that broad road. They're going to be shut

out of the kingdom. Only a few would enter the

kingdom. Now what's interesting, this is what

I had never seen before until this past week.

I always thought, well this is just referring

to all mankind. It has an application there,

but that's not the context. He says many Jews

are going to be shut out. Few are going to be

brought in, right? But if you turn the chapter,

turn page one over, chapter 8, Jesus is speaking

again about the heaven. In chapter 8, notice

what he says. Many Gentiles will enter the kingdom.

Now, friends, let me just say, by the way, if

you're a Jew and you hear that, Jesus, a Jew,

preaching to Jews, says many of you aren't going

to enter the kingdom, and many of them will.

They're shocked. They're scandalized. They're

offended. But look at chapter 8, verse 11. He

says, I say to you, many will come from east

and west, that's Gentiles, and they will sit

down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom

of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom, the Jews,

they're going to be cast out into outer darkness.

There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Look at Matthew 21. I say to you, Jesus said,

have you never read in the scriptures, the stone

which the builders rejected has become the chief

cornerstone? This is what the Lord's doing. It's

marvelous in our eyes. Therefore, I say to you,

man, these are haunting words. The kingdom of

God will be taken from you, Jews, and given to

a nation bearing the fruits of it. That nation

bearing the fruits are the Gentile people. And

then Paul in Romans 11 said, hey, Gentiles, don't

get haughty, don't brag, don't become presumptuous,

because the only reason you've been brought in

is because Jewish unbelief, and it's the grace

of God at work in your life. Most Jews rejecting

Christ, persecuting those who followed him. That's

what they did. Persecuting him. They were deceived.

Nothing worse. Deceived, thinking the road they're

on will lead to God and the road they're on led

to hell. Narrow is the gate and difficult is

the way which leads to life and there are few

who find it. There were few. There was a remnant.

A remnant of grace. That small percentage of

Jews who confessed Christ as Lord. Many, many

heard Jesus. Few received him. Many are called,

Jesus said. Few are chosen. But there's good

news today. The narrow gate still stands. It's

still just as narrow as ever. But it's open to

anyone who would enter. See, they felt, the Jews

felt they were already on the road to salvation.

It's really no different in our day, though.

Most people, if they live in our nation, particularly

Lawrence County, Ohio, they believe they're saved.

And most people take his teachings lightly. There's

no fruit of repentance. There's no fruit of obedience.

Here in a few weeks after Easter, we'll look

at these verses. You can just look down a few

verses later, verse 26 of Matthew 7. Jesus, not

Ryan. He said, everyone who hears these things

of mine, let's not do them. He will be like a

foolish man. Who built his house on the sand

and the rains descended and the floods came and

we're familiar with that. And the winds blew

and beat on that house and it fell. And great

was its fall. The narrow gate, still very narrow.

It's only through Jesus Christ. The way after

you enter the gate is still difficult. But it's

compelling because it ends in life. Do you believe

that? Do you believe that? Revelation 22, 17,

the word of God ends with an invitation. Come.

Come. Let him who hears say come. If you're thirsty,

come. Whoever desires, let him come and take

the waters of life freely. There's salvation.

It's offered to you. But you've got to get there

through a narrow gate in a difficult way. Two

roads, two gates, two different destinations.

So the question is, which road are you on? Jim

Boy said this, and I thought it was too good

to leave it out, and I close with this. If you

are not on the way to Christ, then you are on

the way from him. No neutrality. Thus, you will

either come finally, To a perfect salvation by

the grace of God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen? You get to come to that. Or, you'll come

to the lake of fire without him. That is the

heart of Christ's warning in this passage. Friends,

don't delay. Don't be the foolish man. Don't

be the one who is not earnest about your salvation.

Today, Today, if the Holy Spirit has shown you

that you are a sinner and you know that you're

bankrupt spiritually, you don't have anything

to offer God, come and drink. There's the water

of life and it's free. Call upon him now. For

whoever does call upon him will be saved. If

you'd like to know more about what it means to

follow Christ, friends, I'm after the service.

I'm here. I'd love to sit down and talk to you.

Don't delay. Two roads, two different destinations.

The choice is put before you. Let's pray. Heavenly

Father, we thank you this morning, Lord, for

your word. Lord, it speaks to us. It feeds us.

Lord, it gives us sustenance for our soul. And

Lord, God, we don't want to assume, Lord. Let

us be in earnest. Lord, in Luke 14, it says,

strive to enter at the narrow gate. Agonize.

Lord, I pray that your spirit would work in the

heart of those who might be lost. Lord, they

could be religious, but they might be lost, that,

Lord, they would understand there is nothing

in them. They can offer you nothing, but, Lord,

there is a very wonderful salvation, full blessing

that is available to them if they will come to

Christ. Lord, lay down their own righteousness

and accept the gift that is yours, that you offer

to them in Christ. Oh God, have mercy this morning.

And Lord, I pray for your church, your people

who have been redeemed through your son. Lord,

let us today, Lord, as we renew the covenant

in communion, let us rejoice in the promises

you have made in Christ. Lord, it's not by works

which we have done. Lord, nothing in our hands

we bring. Simply to the cross we cling. Lord,

we boast in Jesus. He is our everything, our

redemption, our salvation, our justification,

our sanctification, and ultimately our glorification.

Lord, our hope is in him this morning. Thank

you for being so good and merciful to us, Father.

And Lord, I pray now that, God, that you continue

to bless and build your church. And Lord, let

us be salt and light to those around us. We pray

this in Jesus' name. Amen. This morning, we have

the incredible privilege of celebrating both

ordinances and or sacraments, however you'd like

to call them.