I am reading from the Gospel
of Matthew this morning, Matthew chapter 7. I will be reading
verses 13 and 14. Matthew 7 verses 13 and 14. Listen or follow along as I read
this. The Lord Jesus Christ is speaking
here and says, Enter ye in at the straight gate, for wide is
the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction,
and many there be which go in thereat. Because straight is
the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and
few there be that find it." The name of God and the word of God
are being mocked today. Not only is God's name on every
tongue as a catchphrase or a byword or an oath, but I hear the Word
of God, which he said is magnified even above his name. I hear the
Word of God used and abused, quoted and misquoted often, as
if it were just a clever book of verse to be used in any way
one sees fit. Well, you take the portion of
God's Word which I just read, which speaks of the straight
gate and narrow way. I've heard that used quite often
in mockery as a common catch phrase. When the Lord Jesus Christ
was speaking there and foretold of the certain destruction of
many, yes, all who mock this verse are included there. And
he told of the only way of life and few that find or enter. Would you know about the wide
gate and broad way and the straight gate and narrow way? Would you
know about it? Would you be interested in knowing
which one you are going in and walking in? Are you interested?
Well, if you're not, and you enter into that wide gate. I hope you are. Look at it again
with me. Verse 13, he says, ìWide is the
gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many
there be which go in thereat.î Many. When the Lord God manifests
in the flesh, it says many. Thatís a lot of folks. He said
many. And he said, wide is the gate,
broad is the way that leads to destruction. A gate or a door
is a thing used to enter or exit. And a way is a road or a path
traveled to a certain destination. And so the Lord says, wide is
the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction. Now, it's certain. It's obvious
that if a man, a woman, or a young person enters into a life of
sin and open wickedness, such as drink or drugs or illicit
sex and so on, it's certain they will destroy themselves. We see
that all around us. It's certain that they will enter
not only physical destruction, but spiritual. That goes almost
without saying. The Lord Jesus Christ is speaking
here to mostly religious persons. He's speaking here in the Sermon
on the Mount, and he's speaking to mostly Jews who were moral,
religious, and law-abiding folk. Let's read verses 21 through
23, and just a few verses after he said What we just read, he says in
verse 21, not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter
into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my
Father which is in heaven. Many, he said, will say to me
in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied or that is
preached in thy name, in the name of Jesus? And in thy name
hath cast out devils, and in thy name, in the name of Jesus,
done many wonderful works. And then will I profess, Christ
says he will profess unto them, or declare unto them, I never
knew you, depart from me, ye that work iniquity. So he's speaking
to religious people mostly, and he calls the religious works
of some, works even in his name, he calls them works of iniquity.
Did you hear that? And so he is saying here in these
verses, wide is the gate and broad is the way of religion. Now. This is obvious, too, that
most everyone has some sort of religion. Most everyone entertains
notions of a God or supreme being and life after death and how
one may enter into heaven or eternal bliss. And the Lord says
many think the gate is wide and the way is broad, and that's
the way they're heading. Now, the image here is of a wide
gate. For that is an entrance so wide
that great crowds of people can all go in at once, or large objects
can pass through. And the broad way is a wide road
that is well traveled, a broad way. And so it is in religion. I see in my day huge throngs
of people today supposedly coming to God. And they're coming in
any old way they seem to want to. It's generally held that
as long as you're sincere, it's all right. But the scripture
says there is a way that seems right to man, but the end is
destruction. But people argue, well, you need
to be broad-minded. We need to be more tolerant of
religions. We need to allow for differing
opinions. You go your way, I'll go mine,
and we're all going to the same place. Yes, Christ said the same
place is destruction. That may sound hard and that
may sound narrow, but that is exactly what the Lord Jesus Christ
is saying here. The way is narrow. Now, there's
no strength in numbers. The majority doesn't rule in
spiritual matters. Yes, all these people can be
wrong. You've heard that saying, haven't
you, when you see a majority of people that believe one way
and there are just a few who believe another, and someone
argues, well, can all these people be wrong? Yes. As a matter of
fact, the scripture says, let God be true. Or that is, his
word true, absolutely true, and every man a liar. Now, that's what the Bible says. Well, what is this straight gate
and narrow way? Well, I can sum it up in one
word, Christ. Jesus Christ is the gate, or
the door. He said, I am the door. Jesus
Christ is the way of life. He said, I am the way, the truth,
and the life. No man cometh unto the Father,
or that is God, but by me. I am the door, the way. And he said here in these verses,
there be few that find it." Or rather, him. Few that find. Who do find him? Who is it that finds Christ?
Well, I'll tell you who it is. It's the called and the chosen. Our Lord said that in another
place. He said, many are called, but few are chosen. But all who are chosen were also
called. Called by the gospel. He said,
My sheep will hear my voice. My sheep. Now, there are few
that find Christ. And all who find him were those
that Christ was looking for. He finds his sheep. He said that
in John 10. He leaves the ninety and nine
and goes looking for the one in the wilderness until he finds
it. all whom God gave to Christ,
all whom God chose or elected and gave to Christ to save, Christ
came to this earth to find them, and he does that. He said, I
come to seek and to save that which was lost. Call his name
Jesus. He shall save his people from
their sin. So the few that find him are
those that he found. those that he saved. Well, what
is this straight gate? Let's see the picture here of
Christ as the straight gate and narrow way. Well, a straight
gate is a narrow, this also means a narrow gate, or rather a small
opening, which won't allow any or everything to enter. No. The picture you might have in
your mind here is a real narrow or small opening into a place,
and even it's short. You have to stoop down to get
through it. And so it is. When you come to
God, when we come to God, we're going to have to come bowing
down before him. Someone argues, I don't bow or
scrape to anyone. Well, if you come to God, you
will. You'll have to bow. You'll have to stoop down. You'll
have to come humble and broken and stoop down as a guilty sinner
before a holy, righteous, and just judge. You say, that's old-fashioned. Nobody believes like that anymore. Well, do you remember what he
said about the broad way, the way that seems right? No, of
course, very few people believe that anymore. That's the broad
way. Men go in a way they think is
right, or that is thinking that God is all love, love, love,
just a broad granddaddy-type loving figure who just will take
anybody and everything that comes to him. No, sir. No, sir. Straight is the gate and narrow
is the way. straight gate. It is so narrow
and so straight that you enter in single file, one at a time. Salvation is a thing between
one sinner in his closet before God. We don't enter heaven on
the buddy system. We don't enter heaven by being
a member of promise keepers. No, sir. It is one sinner alone
with his God seeking mercy. And it's a straight gate. Someone
said it's so small an opening, so narrow, that one must remove
all his clothes to get through it. And that's a good picture
because all religious rags, all self-righteous rags, all of my
baggage, my works, my baptism, all of that got to go. I got
to leave it behind. I got to come empty-handed, naked,
a beggar seeking salvation. Yes, sir. That's the only way
you come to God, naked before God. like old Bartimaeus threw
away that rag that he was holding on to before to come to Christ.
In my hands no price I bring, simply to the Christ of the cross
I cling. Well, it is a narrow way. It
is a narrow way, the Scripture says, Christ said, as one way
to get to God. That may sound narrow, but Christ,
who is the way, said that. It is a narrow way. is the only
way to get to God. I know you've seen or heard of
that little sentimental saying about the two sets of footprints
in the sand. Perhaps you may have that on
your wall, that there are two sets of footprints along the
way, and then all of a sudden there's one set. And the person
argues with the Lord, why did you leave me when I needed you?
And that's when he says, when the way got rough, that's when
I picked you up and carried you. Well, the truth of the matter
is, the scripture says that if we get to God, it's going to
be because he carried us all the way. Yes, sir. That's what
Isaiah 46 says. He said in verse 4, I am he,
even to hoary hairs will I carry you. I have made and I will bear
you, even I will carry and will deliver you from the belly to
the grave. If we get to God, it's because
Jesus Christ carries us all the way. It's a straight and a narrow
way. I hope you heard this, and I
hope that he will cause you to enter in. Until next Sunday,
good day.