In Matthew's Gospel, we find
what is commonly called the Sermon on the Mount. We spoke from this
recently in Matthew chapter 7. It says after the Lord finished
His Sermon on the Mount, in verse 28, it says the people were astonished
at His doctrine. They were amazed. They were shocked. at what he taught them. Doctrine
is teaching. And they said in verse 29, he
teaches as one having authority and not as the scribes or those
self-proclaimed authorities on God's Word, self-proclaimed leaders,
teachers of the people. He preaches or teaches as one
having authority. That's true. He is the authority. All that he says is truth. He is the truth personified. Scripture says, let God be true
and every man a liar. Whatever man says or thinks is
a lie that is not in keeping with God's word. Well, the things
that the Lord Jesus Christ taught then and now are radically different
than what man teaches and thinks. We noticed before, here in chapter
7, the Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ called some people dogs and swine. Yes. He was speaking of people. The Lord Jesus Christ says salvation
is narrow and few find it. That is so contrary to what we're
hearing today. The Lord Jesus Christ warned
of false prophets and He said many. There are many. He calls many, here in chapter
7, do things in His name. Many who prophesy in His name
and cast out devils and do many wonderful works in the name of
Jesus, He calls them workers of iniquity, evil workers. And so the people were astonished
at what He said. They were shocked at His teaching
as they are now, as perhaps someone who is listening right now is
shocked to hear that the Lord Jesus Christ said those things.
Well, He did. And people are shocked now when
they hear a true preacher just say what the Lord Jesus Christ
truly said, and not twist it, rest the Scripture, pervert the
Scriptures as Peter said many who are unlearned and unstable
do. to their own destruction and the destruction of their
hearers. It is very plain what the Lord is saying here. In verse
13, He 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."
And because straight is the gate, and narrow is the way, which
leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Those are the
words of Jesus Christ. He said there is a straight gate
and a wide gate. He said there is a narrow way
and a broad way. He said many go in the one way
and few the other. Would it not be wise of us to
find out what these gates and these ways are, and which of
the two we go in? Why, yes, it's a matter of life
or destruction, the Lord said. Life or destruction. A gate, very simply, is a door,
an entrance into some place. In another place, the Lord said,
I am the door. Christ is the door or gate, the
entrance into eternal life to God. He said, no man cometh unto
the Father, but by me. He is the gate, the door, the
way of life to enter. To enter in is to bow to, to
believe, to knock, to ask, to seek. He said that earlier in
this chapter. Everyone that asketh receiveth
he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall
be opened. A door which is shut must be
knocked upon to enter. To enter is to bow, to believe,
trust, ask, seek, knock. It is to love, obey, believe,
walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the way, the gate, the
door. He says here in verse 14, straight
is the gate. The word straight means small.
It means low. It means hemmed in. That is,
there's only one. Someone, one of the old writers,
wisely said, the gate is so straight, so low. It is so low. Can you picture a low entrance,
low and narrow entrance? He said, this old writer said,
it is so low one must bow down to enter in. Must get on one's
knees. And so it is. We must bow to
the Lord. Jesus Christ in order to enter
into life. Someone says it is so narrow
that you cannot take anything in with you. You cannot take
any excess baggage while you must even strip naked to go through. So it is that a person must come
to Christ naked, that is, stripped of all of their robes of self-righteousness,
all of their baggage, all that they think to bring with them
that will recommend them to God. No, we must come naked to be
clothed. In verse 13, the Lord said, wide
is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction
and many. there be which go in thereat. Wide is the gate. Broad is the
way that leadeth to destruction. Destruction of what? We're talking
about spiritual things here. We're talking about the destruction
of the soul. Destruction means something is
destroyed. Well, who destroys it? God does. Yes, we destroy ourselves in
sin, but it is God that casts the soul into hell. Destruction of the soul. Death. He says wide. Wide is the gate. Wide, and that means it can be
easily entered. No restrictions. You can carry
anything with you. Wide is this gate of destruction. You can bring everything with
you, and it will be destroyed along with you. All that is in
this world will be destroyed, either now or later by God when
He destroys this earth. Now it will be destroyed by either... Think about the foolishness of
putting your happiness joy in things that moths and rust and
thieves will destroy. Moths, a little insect, can destroy
the finest of clothing. Rust, the finest automobile or
whatever will someday be a pile of rust. And thieves can steal. Wide is this gate, broad is the
way. Do you picture Can you picture
with me a gate or a door, an entrance? And upon passing through
that, there's a way or path to walk. Well, when one comes to
Christ by the grace of God, by the sovereign, electing, saving
grace of God, by the sovereign drawing of the Holy Spirit, and
that's how they come. Christ said that. He said, no
man can come to me. except the Father which hath
sent me draw him." Did you hear that? Did you hear that? No man can come. He said it twice. Well, when one does come, one
who is drawn by the Father and comes to Christ, all that the
Father giveth comes to Christ, then there is a walk, a certain
way in which they walk. led down a path, and Scripture
says it's the path of righteousness. It's the same in the world and
religion. All have a way that they go,
a path that they tread, or a path to be trod, a walk to walk, a
journey to make. The Lord said, the Lord said,
broad is the way of destruction, broad way, a way well traveled,
and many go in that way. And that's why it's so broad,
because so many. Scripture says there's a way
that seems right unto man, but the end is destruction. Whatever
seems right to you, your natural way of thinking, your natural
logic or thoughts, whatever seems right to you, a way that seems
right is wrong. Whenever a person says, well,
this is the way I think it is, it's wrong. God said, My ways
are not your way. The ways of the world, sin, pleasure,
materialism, is a road to destruction. And untold millions and billions
have walked and do walk therein. And it ends in destruction, destruction
of the soul, the way of religion. This is perhaps the most well-traveled
road of all, the way of religion. The majority of the people are
not right. but rather wrong. Can all these
people be wrong and just a few be right? Absolutely. It has always been that way. The truth has always been in
the minority. People laughed and scoffed at
Noah in his day. He preached for 120 years. What
did he preach? It wasn't the love of God. It
was the judgment of God upon a sinful world. And they just
laughed and scoffed at him. Perhaps many of them believed
in a God of love, but they all perished and eight people, eight
souls were saved. Can all these people be wrong
and just a few right? Absolutely. The way of religion is a broad
way, and it's no coincidence that it resembles Broadway with
all of its entertainment and all of its stars. The rich and
famous Broadway religion. The way of religion. The way
of religion, the majority of the people in the Lord's day
were devout Orthodox Jews. They strictly kept the Sabbath.
Yes, they were Seventh-day Adventists. They were law keepers, prided
themselves in the way they kept God's law, or thought they did.
The way they dressed, their orthodoxy. The majority of the people were
religious, orthodox, devout Jews, and they were lost. And you know,
they said they believed Christ. They were looking for the Christ. They loved God, believed God,
and when He came, they hated Him and killed Him. It's the
same today. Contrary to what is said today
and what is believed today, the Lord Jesus Christ said in Luke
18, when the Son of Man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? It is so scarce, so narrow, that
few there be that find it, the Lord said. Few. Straight. Straight
is the way. Narrow is the way. straight.
It's narrow. It's very narrow. It's as narrow
as this. There is one person, one way to get to God Almighty, and it's
Jesus Christ. There are not many ways. There
are not many faiths. We do not have interfaith. Interfaith
salvation. No, sir, one way. One Lord, one
faith, one way. It is not straight. It is narrow.
It points straight to Christ. Everything in Scripture points
straight to the Lord Jesus Christ. The way, the truth, the life. And narrow. Narrow. Few there be that find it. Many
are called, but few are chosen to seek, to look. And they find. Whoever seeks, finds. I'm not
trying to get you to believe anything, but I'm just hoping
you're one of God's sheep and He'll call you. How does He call?
By this, what the world calls foolishness, preaching. May it
be pleasing to the Lord to call you by His Word. Amen.