Two Gates Two Ways Two Destinations Which will

Two Gates, Two Ways & Two Destinations Which will we choose?

Narrow vs Wide • As Jesus is wrapping up the Sermon on the Mount He makes the following statement. • Mt 7: 13 "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. • 14 "Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. • He points out a truth here that many fail to recognize. There are only two paths in this life.

Narrow vs Wide • He points out there is a gate and a way leading to eternal life. • He also points out there is a gate and a way that leads to eternal destruction. • These Gates represent the beginning of our spiritual journeys in this life. • The Wide Gate is open to all it has no restrictions. • Many have entered without even knowing. • We can carry all of our sinful baggage thru it.

The Wide Gate has no restrictions! We can carry in all our sins • LYING • DISBELIEF • FORNICATION • MISSING WORSHIP • DRUNKENESS • IMMODESTY M O E D YF T S O G N I RN IC AT LY IO N DISBELIEF IP H S R O W G N I S S MI DRUNKENESS IM

Narrow vs Wide • This wide gate opens to a broad way. • The word “way” comes from the Greek word “hodos” which means: Road • This is a road that is very wide. • It requires no effort to stay on this road. It’s easy. • You can believe what you want and do what you want and still manage to stay on this broad way. • The other spiritual path we can take in this life is not like the Wide Gate and Broad Way.

Narrow vs Wide • It is thru the “Narrow Gate” Jesus encourages us to enter. • This gate is narrow and restrictive. • ONLY those who are willing to meet the restrictions will be allowed to pass thru. • I believe this gate compares to when we first become a Christian. • We cannot become a Christian just because we want to. We must learn what is required of those who would pass thru this gate and then meet those requirements.

Narrow vs Wide • This requires searching on our part. • Remember what Jesus said in vs 14? – Mt 7: 14 "Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. • In order to find entrance into the kingdom of God we must search the scriptures. • Ro 1: 16 ¶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

Narrow vs Wide • In the Scriptures (Gospel, Word of God) we find the restrictions one must comply with in order to pass thru the Narrow Gate into the Kingdom. – Hear the Word: Romans 10: 17 – We must Believe: Hebrews 10: 6 – Repent of our Sins: Luke 13: 3&5 – Confess Christ: Romans 10: 10 – Baptized for the Remission of Sins Acts 2: 38

Narrow vs Wide • Unlike the Wide Gate we must be willing to put away all of our sins and make our minds up that we are not going to participate in them anymore. This is repentance. • Then all of these sins must be washed away in baptism. – Ac 2: 38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. • It is at this point that we pass thru the Narrow Gate into the Kingdom of God.

Narrow vs Wide • Many might think our work is done at this point but in reality it is just beginning. • We must remain on that difficult or narrow path. – Vs 14 …narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life… • Unlike the Broad Way if we are not careful we can stray from the narrow path. We must watch our every step! • Just like the Narrow Gate is restrictive so also is the Way that leads to eternal life.

Narrow vs Wide • As we mentioned, Jesus is ending His Sermon on the Mount. • This sermon is filled with warnings and restrictions for those who would travel the Difficult Way. • In the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 we see many things we must be in order to remain on the Narrow Way. • Mt 5: 1 ¶ And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. • 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

Narrow vs Wide • Mt 5: 3 ¶ "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. • 4 Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. • 5 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. • 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. • 7 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. • 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.

Narrow vs Wide • Mt 5: 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. • 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. • 11 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. • 12 "Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Narrow vs Wide • We must be willing to suffer persecution for the cause of Christ, if we are going to stay on that narrow path. • We must also be the “Salt of the Earth” • Mt 5: 13 ¶ "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. • We must also let our light shine in order to remain on the Narrow Way.

Narrow vs Wide • Mt 5: 16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. • Our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the hypocrite. • Mt 5: 20 "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. • These would teach one thing and then do another.

Narrow vs Wide • We must be willing to make any sacrifice to please God! • Mt 5: 29 "If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. • 30 "And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

Narrow vs Wide • We must not swear to remain on the Difficult Way. • Mt 5: 34 "But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; • 35 "nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. • 36 "Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. • 37 "But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes, ' and your 'No, ' 'No. ' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

Narrow vs Wide • We must be willing to turn the other cheek when we are attacked because we are followers of Christ if we want to stay on the Narrow Way. • Mt 5: 38 ¶ "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. ' • 39 "But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. • Christians are not to fight against those who persecute them for being followers of Christ!

Narrow vs Wide • To stay on that Narrow Path we must love our enemies! • Mt 5: 43 ¶ "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. ' • 44 "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, • 45 "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Narrow vs Wide • We must pray and do charitable deeds in order to remain on the Narrow Way but these are not to be done in order to be seen by men. • Mt 6: 3 "But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, • 4 "that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

Narrow vs Wide • 5 ¶ "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. • We cannot expect any reward from God when we do our good deeds in order to be praised by other men.

Narrow vs Wide • We must forgive those who have wronged us when they ask forgiveness if we want to stay on the Difficult Path. • Mt 6: 15 "But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. • Our main focus in life must not be laying up treasure for ourselves here but rather to lay up treasure for ourselves in Heaven. • Anything we lay up here is temporary.

Narrow vs Wide • Mt 6: 19 ¶ "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; • 20 "but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. • 21 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. • Is our goal in this life to make money or go to Heaven?

Narrow vs Wide • Heaven must be our number one priority if we are going to stay on the Narrow Way! • Mt 6: 33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. • We cannot judge others in matters of opinion if we are going to stay on that Difficult Path. • Mt 7: 1 ¶ "Judge not, that you be not judged.

Narrow vs Wide • We must treat others the way we want to be treated. • Mt 7: 12 ¶ "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. • Jesus points out all of these things a person is to do just before He tells them to enter by the Narrow Gate. • It is only after removing sin from our life and then doing all that God has commanded that we can reach that destination of eternal life!

Narrow vs Wide • The final destination of those who enter the Wide Gate and travel the Broad Way is destruction. • This is talking about an eternity in Hell. A place prepared for the Devil and his Angels. • God has no desire for any man to meet this end but unfortunately many will. • Mt 7: 13 "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.

Conclusion • Because the Gate is Narrow and the Way is Difficult few will be willing to pay the price and do what is necessary to reach the destination of eternal life. • Mt 7: 14 "Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. • What a sad day it will be if we stand before God in judgment and here “Depart from me, I never knew you” • Let’s all take advantage of the time we have in this life and strive to stay on the Narrow Way.