Luke chapter 13. And today we
want to bring our message, the center of it, the core of it,
from verse 24 down through verse 30 in Luke chapter 13. I'm taking the title for the
message from the words found in verse 24, our Lord gives this
answer to the question, someone said, Lord are there few that
be saved? And he said, verse 24, strive
to enter in at the straight gate. Strive to enter into the kingdom
of God, the kingdom of heaven. Well, by the Lord's sovereign
purpose and power, and by the Lord's amazing grace, we have
endured and persevered through one more year. 2017 is almost
gone. They go by so quickly anymore,
don't they? We have preserved We have been
preserved and we have persevered, being kept by the power of Almighty
God. What will we face in 2018? Ever thought about it? I have no idea. I have no idea
what we will face, what trial, what heartache, what blessing.
The Lord may be pleased to send our way. but the Lord who was
on the throne of almighty majesty, almighty glory, almighty power,
still rules and reigns over all things, and we know this, everything
he does is right. We know this, those who love
God, we know that all things work together for good to them
who love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose,
whatever does come to pass in the life of every believer, we
can say, Lord, it's good. It is well with my soul. It is
good. It is good. That brings us to
our text in Luke 13, begin reading at verse 22. And when he went
through, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is
God Almighty, manifest in the flesh, a real man, the Word was
made flesh and dwelt among us, and He walked among men as a
real man, tempted in every trial like as we are, yet without sin,
and He went through the cities, and He went through the villages,
and He went through the cities and the villages, teaching, and
preaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. He always had His
eye, His face fixed like a flint. He had His eye upon Jerusalem. From all eternity He had His
eye fixed upon Jerusalem, for He is a Lamb slain before the
foundation of the world. From all eternity He had His
eye at Calvary's hill, where He would lay down His life for
His people. As the Lord of Glory is making
His way to this city, the city of God, and He does so to give
His life a ransom for many. He does so to make complete atonement
for the sin of His covenant people. The messenger from heaven that
was despatched from the throne of glory said to Joseph and Mary,
you name Him, that baby, that one Son of God, you name Him,
Jesus, Savior, for He shall save His people from their sin. And one day he put away sin by
the sacrifice of himself. No one took his life. He laid
it down freely. He earned his love, not that
we loved God, but that he loved us. That he gave his life for
us. And as he went his way to Jerusalem
to make atonement for our sin, he went his way teaching. Teaching
the way of salvation in Christ. Preaching the gospel of the kingdom
of God. Teaching the way of salvation
in Him. Teaching the way of forgiveness
in Him. He didn't come to call the righteous
but sinners unto repentance. The Lord Jesus Christ came to
seek and to save those who were lost. The Lord Jesus Christ came
on a mission of mercy to buy His church. to ransom his bride
and to pay their sin debt, and my friend, he got the job done. This is a faithful saying and
worthy of all acceptation, that the Lord Jesus Christ came to
save sinners. When we were yet without strength,
the Lord Jesus Christ died for the ungodly. Aren't you glad that He came
teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem? Where would we be
without an atonement for sin? Where would we be without a justifying
righteousness freely given to us through the obedience, the
faithful obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ? Where would we
be without God, without hope, without Christ, without salvation
in this life? Boy, I'm so thankful for that
journey. The journey all the way from glory He thought it
not robbery to be equal with God, but he made himself a servant,
like unto us, without sin." What a journey! What a trip! He died
for our sin, but the journey wasn't over. He went back to
glory. Ascended to glory, seated at
the right hand of God. Now, verse 23, Someone said unto
him, and I'm glad for this question, Are there few that be saved?
Are there few that be saved through your atonement, through your
ransom for sin? And he said unto them the answer
in the following words. Someone asked a question about
sinners being saved, and how many? How many? Just how many
will be saved? I know this for sure, all those
given to the Lord Jesus Christ in that covenant of grace, they'll
all be saved. All that the Father giveth to
me, all that the Father giveth to me shall come to me, and those
that come to me I will in no wise, no way cast them out. Lord, are there few that are
being saved? Are there few that are in the
kingdom of God? Now from our puny myopic viewpoint,
from our viewpoint, those who are truly one with Christ and
included in the covenant of grace appear from our puny eyesight,
they appear at any moment given in time to be few. Don't they? Few. They were just 12 apostles. How many Pharisees were there?
There were a lot of Pharisees. But let me give you these examples.
Let me remind you of these few. From our viewpoint, we see few
being saved. In Noah's day, how many? How
many among all the millions that lived in Noah's day, the Lord
saved eight. Eight souls in that ark. Noah
found grace in the eyes of the Lord. In Abraham's day, when
God called Abraham out of the air of Chaldees, how many lived
in that country? Millions. God called one man. Are there few being saved? in
the day of Lot, when Lot and his family was in the city of
Sodom, and God rained fire on that city. Lot! was delivered,
a multitude perished. Are there few being saved? From
my viewpoint, it seems like it's so. Of those who were delivered
from Egyptian bondage, are all those millions, most think, that
came out of Egyptian bondage after 400 years? You know how
many men that were 20 years or older that came out of Egypt,
entered into the Canaan land? Two. Two? Two. Caleb, Joshua, and that's a picture
of the gospel. Caleb, the faithful dog, and
Joshua, what's his name mean? Savior. Who's going to enter
into glory? the Savior and his people, those
faithful dogs. How about in Elijah's day? One
man, one prophet, Elijah stood down 400 prophets of Baal and
400 prophets of the grove, 800 prophets against one lonely preacher,
son of God. God rained fire that day on that
sacrifice of Elijah, and let it be known that thou art God."
Elijah said, Lord, I'm the only one left. From Elijah's viewpoint,
he thought he was the only believer left. Are there few being saved?
You remember what the Lord said? He said, from his viewpoint,
Lord, he said, Elijah, the Lord said, I have reserved to me 7,000
men that have not bowed the knee to Baal. The point I'm making
is this, from our viewpoint, it seems like There are few being
saved, but my friend, God has a much bigger view than we do. From the Lord's eternal view
of things, there are a great multitude of elect sinners being
saved and have been saved by His grace only through the blood
atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's why He says down here
in verse 29 of Luke 13, And they shall come from the east, And
they shall come from the west, and they shall come from the
north, and they shall come from the south, and they shall sit
down in the kingdom of God. The Lord our God has a multitude
of sinners. He chose in that eternal covenant
of grace, and they will be saved, and they will sit down with Him
in glory. And He describes them this way.
Don't turn because you're familiar with this, but I'll read it to
you from Revelation 5, And they sung a new song, saying, Thou
art worthy to take the book, to open the seals thereof, for
thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of
every kindred, tongue, people, and nation, and has made us unto
our God, kings, and priests, and we shall reign on the earth.
And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about
the throne, and the beasts, and the elders, and the number of
them was ten thousand times ten thousand, And thousands sang
with a loud voice, worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive
all honor, power, and glory both now and forever. Blessing and
honor and power be unto the Lamb that sits upon the throne forever
and ever. You see, the Lord has a great
multitude of sinners that have been saved and that are being
saved and that will one day eventually be glorified in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Now, that's my introduction.
Here's point number one, found in verse 24, a solemn exhortation. A solemn exhortation to everyone
that is sitting here right now, young and old, Strive to enter
in at the straight gate. Strive to enter in. For many,
I say unto you, will seek to enter in, be too late, shall
not be able. Now this word here, strive, where
it says strive to enter in, It has the meaning of fighting. It has the meaning of the labor
to enter in. To fervently strive to enter
in to salvation. It's kind of like the idea, when
I was a young man, I used to be on the track team when I was
in school. And when I was younger, at one
point I was the fastest young boy in the whole school. I could outrun everybody. Nobody
could even challenge me. But in doing so, when I was running
a race, whether it was a 50-yard dash or a 100-yard dash, I would
strive, I would strive for that finish line to win the race. That's the meaning here. Strive
to enter into the kingdom of God. That is not saying that
salvation is by our works, but my friend, it's the eagerness
of a willing heart, made willing in the day of God's power to
enter into the Lord Jesus Christ. I thought of this scripture here. In Matthew 11, it says, From
the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven
suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. What does that
mean? It means this, those whom God
has given grace in their heart, they must have the Lord Jesus
Christ at all expense. They must have Him. They must
win Christ and be found in Him. You see, the way of salvation
is singular, exclusive. It's an exclusive way. It's a
straight gate. It is a narrow way. It is a restricted
way. The Lord called it a straight
gate, a narrow way. Matthew 7, we read a moment ago,
verse 13. Enter ye in at the straight gate,
for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leads to destruction.
You remember from Proverbs 14, there is a way, there is a way
which seemeth right unto men, but the end thereof The ways
of death. The ways of death. You see, there
is just one way. There is just one gate. There
is just one Savior. There is just one God. There
is just one way of mercy. We read in John chapter 10, verse
9, the Lord said, I am the door. It's not like a game show. It's
not like you pick door one, door two, or door three. Just take
your pick, multiple choice. Which door do you want? The gospel
is not like a game show. There's one door. The Lord Jesus
Christ said, I am the door. I am the door. By me, if any
man enter in, He shall be saved. He's able to save to the uttermost
all that come to God by Him. You see, there's just one way
of salvation. You all know this scripture very
well. I won't have you turn and read it, but Thomas asked the
Lord Jesus Christ, how can we know the way? And the Lord said,
Thomas, have you been with me so long? He said, I am the way. Not a way, the way. I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. Definite article. No man come to the Father but
by and through me. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
only way. Neither is there salvation in
any other. There's no other name under heaven
given among men whereby we must be saved. You see, there's just
one Lord. There's just one Savior. There
is just one faith, and my friend, there is just one gospel. It's
the gospel of God concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord
has justified all His elect by His blood atonement. Being now
justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
All the elect of God will be called with the gospel. None
will be eternally lost. None will be eternally damned.
Turn over here to John chapter 6. Let me see if I can show you
that in the word of God. John chapter 6. None will be eternally lost.
None will be thrust out. All those given to Christ shall
come to Him. John 6, 37. John 6, 37. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will
in no wise cast out. All that the Father giveth to
me, that talks about the eternal election of grace. For I came
down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of Him
that sent me. And this is the Father's will
which has sent me, that of all which He has given me I should
lose nothing. but raise it up again at the last day. And this
is the will of Him that sent me, that everyone would see it,
the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life, and
I'll raise Him up at the last day." If you look back at one
page, John 5, verse 24, "...verily, verily, I say unto you, He that
heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, everlasting
life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from
death unto life." All the elect of God will hear the gospel,
they will be called of God, they will strive to enter in, they
shall be made willing in the day of God's power, and none
will be lost. Nevertheless, the Apostle Paul
said, the foundation of God standeth sure having this seal. The Lord
knoweth them that are His. Our Lord exhorts us and gives
us encouragement to seek and strive to find salvation where
He placed it. I want to seek mercy where it's
found. I want to seek pardon and forgiveness and righteousness
where it is found. And my friend, it's found in
the Lord Jesus Christ. He that hath the Son hath life. This is eternal life, that they
might know Thee, the only true God, Jesus Christ, whom God hath
sent. Today is the day of salvation. We have no tomorrow. Do you have
a tomorrow? You don't have tomorrow. You
don't have the next hour. All you have is right now. Today's
the day of salvation. You may never live to see or
experience one day of 2018. All you have is right now. Therefore,
the Lord Jesus Christ says to strive to enter in at the straight
gate. That's why the Lord says, O everyone
that thirsty, come to the waters. Come ye, buy and eat without
money and without price. And then the Lord says over here
in Matthew 11, don't turn, let me just read it to you. Matthew
11, 25, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because
thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, revealed
them unto babes, even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy
sight. All things are delivered unto me and my Father, and no
man knoweth the Son but the Father, neither knoweth any man the Father. Save the Son, and he to whomsoever
the Son will reveal him. Now, he said, come unto me. Come
unto me, all ye that labor and heavy laden. I'll give you rest. Come to Christ. How does a sinner
come to Christ? By walking, by moving, by running. Coming in Christ doesn't require
any physical movement. As one old preacher used to say,
come to Christ and don't move a muscle. Come to Christ and
don't move a muscle. You see, we come to Him by believing
Him and looking to Him by faith. Come unto Me, all ye that labor
and heavy laden, I'll give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and
learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall
find rest unto your soul, for My yoke is easy and all My burdens
light. Strive to enter in at that straight
gate, Christ is the only way, redeeming the time because the
days are evil. Now, I will have you turn to
this one. Turn to John chapter 7. John chapter 7, verse 37. John 7, verse 37. In the last day, that great day
of the feast, The Lord Jesus stood and cried,
if any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink. You remember what He told the
woman at the well? Turn back to John chapter 4.
Come unto Me and drink. Strive to enter in at that straight
gate. Look unto the Lord Jesus Christ,
He's the only just God and Savior. That's what He said in Isaiah
40, 45. Look unto Me and be ye saved. In John chapter 4, Verse 14, Whosoever drinketh
of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the
water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing
up into everlasting life. And then the Lord said, I am
the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never
hunger. He that believeth on me shall never, no, never, shall
never thirst. Exhortation, turn back to Luke
13. Strive to enter into a straight
gate. For many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall
not be able." So, the first point was an exhortation to strive
to enter in. And then the second point is
a solemn warning. A solemn warning. Look at verse
25. When once the master of the house
is risen up, and have shut the door, shut the door of mercy,
shut the door of grace, and you begin to stand without and to
knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. And He shall answer and say unto
you, I know you not whence ye are. Then shall you begin to
say, We have eaten, and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast
taught in our streets, but he shall say, I tell you, I know
you not, I love you not, whence ye are, depart from me, all ye
workers of iniquity, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth,
When you shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, all the elect
of God, with the prophets of God, in the kingdom of God, enjoying
the kingdom of God, and you yourselves shall be thrust out on the outside,
outside of love, outside of mercy, outside of pardon, outside of
forgiveness, outside, without. and nothing. Many will try in
that final day of eternal judgment to enter in and shall not be
able. Someone said years ago, hell
is truth realized too late. There are no unbelievers in eternal
condemnation, but hell is truth realized too late. Many will
say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied
in thy name? And in thy name have cast out
devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works? Then will
I profess unto them, I never knew you, Depart from me, you
workers of iniquity, all those who trust what they have done
in the name of their religion, he will say, I do not know you. There will be coming a day when
the master of the house will shut the door of mercy, when
the Lord of glory will come in judgment and wrath, when the
wrath of the Lamb will be realized and experienced, but Salvation
will be gone for them. Turn over here in that day of
judgment. If you die without Christ, you'll
be raised without Christ. If you're raised without Christ,
you'll stand before God in judgment without the Lord Jesus Christ
and hear Him say, Depart from Me, I never knew you. Turn over
here to 2 Thessalonians. Chapter 1, 2 Thessalonians chapter
1. In the final day of judgment
and separation, when the Lord shall thrust those away from
His presence forever, this will come to realization by experience. 2 Thessalonians 1 verse 7, To
you who are troubled, rest with us. When the Lord Jesus shall
be revealed from heaven, with his mighty angels in flaming
fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, that obey
not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished
with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord,
from the glory of his power, when he shall come to be glorified
in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe, because
our testimony among you was believed in that day. Some are gonna hear
him say, come ye blessed to my father, inherit the kingdom of
God, while others will hear him say, depart from me, I never
knew you. Let's turn and read that. Turn
over here to Matthew 25. Matthew 25. Look at verse. 31 Matthew 25, When the Son of Man
shall come in glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then
shall He sit upon the throne of His glory. And before Him
shall be gathered all nations. And He shall separate them one
from another, as a shepherd that divided sheep from the goats.
And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, and the goats
on His left. Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand,
Come ye blessed in my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared
for you from the foundation of the world. What does he say to
them on the left hand? Look down at verse 41. Then shall
he also, he shall say also unto them on the left hand, depart
from me, ye cursed in everlasting fire, prepared for the devil
and his angels. One more verse. Matthew 25, 46.
And ye shall go into everlasting punishment, but the righteous
into eternal life. There is a day coming, my friend,
called the day of judgment. Now, there shall be weeping,
look back at Luke 13, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth,
eternal condemnation, eternal torment, eternal sorrow, when
you shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets
in the kingdom of God, and you yourself thrust out, and they
shall come from the east, from the west, from the north, from
the south, and they shall sit down with him, the Lamb, in the
kingdom of God. Now, one last word, the last
point, verse 30. Behold, there are last which
shall be first, and there are first which shall be last. The Lord often used this statement
of fact when considering the final judgment of sinners. In
Matthew 19 verse 30, Matthew 20 verse 16, and Mark 10 verse
31. In reference to those Jews, they
had many things first. They had more than any other
nation. They had the privilege of the prophets, the giving of
the law. They had the word of God, the
prophets of God. They had the tabernacle. The
Jews had everything first given to them. They had the tabernacle
in the wilderness. They had the temple in Jerusalem.
They had the ministry of the priests. They had the seat, the
mercy seat of atonement. They had all the feast days.
and the many days, and the many different offerings under the
law, all being a type and shadow of the gospel of good things
to come. They had the preaching of the
Lord Jesus Christ, and the preaching of the ministry of the apostles.
They had many things freely given to them first, but our Lord here
said, they shall be last. They shall be thrust out. They
shall be thrust away. Look what it says down in Luke
13 verse 34, Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you killed the prophets, you
stoned them that are sinning to you. How often would I have
gathered thy children together as a hen doth her brood under
her wings, but you would not. Behold, your house is left unto
you desolate, Verily I say unto you, you shall not see me until
the time come when you shall say, Blessed is he that cometh
in the name of the Lord. One day every knee will bow.
One day every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord through
the glory of God the Father. I want you to turn and read with
me. I want you to see this. Turn to John chapter 1. Give
me just a couple of minutes. I'm almost through. John chapter
1. Talking about the Jewish nation. John chapter 1. He was in the
world, verse 10, and the world was made by Him, and the world
knew Him not. He came unto His own, His own
received Him not. But as many as received Him,
to them gave He power and right to become sons of God, even to
them that believe on His name, which were born, not of blood,
nor of the will of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
He came unto His own, His own received Him not. Turn a couple
of pages to John chapter 5. John chapter 5 verse 39. John
5 verse 39. Search the Scriptures, for in
them ye think ye have eternal life. There they which testify
of me, but ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. I receive not honor from men,
but I know you. You have not the love of God
in you. I am come in my Father's name, and you receive me not.
If another shall come in his own name, him you will receive.
How can ye believe which receive honor one of another, and seek
not the honor that cometh from God only? Do not think that I
will accuse you that the Father there is one that accuses you,
even Moses, whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye
would have believed me." What did Moses write about? wrote
about the Lord Jesus Christ. If you believe not His writings,
how shall you believe My word? He came unto His own, His own
received Him not. Turn to one more scripture in
the book of John, John chapter 19 verse 15. You remember when
the Lord Jesus Christ, standing there in Jerusalem, in Pilate's
judgment hall, and Pilate brought Him forth after the Lord was
beaten, falsely accused and crowned with many thorns. And Pilate
brought him forth, in verse 14, and said, Behold your king! He
presented him to the Jews, and they cried out, Away with him!
Away with him! Crucify him! Pilate said unto
them, Shall I crucify your king? The chief priests answered, We
have no king! But Caesar, all these first blessings,
and yet they died in unbelief, not being mixed with faith in
the things which they heard. Then, in reference to the Gentiles,
in reference to the elect among the Gentiles, they had no outward
privileges like the Jewish people had first, but the Lord was pleased
to choose and bless a multitude of sinners in the Lord Jesus
Christ. The last shall be first. The
way of grace is always opposite to the way we think. We think
the first shall be first. The way of grace is the last
shall be first. God always chooses the worst
among men that He might be glorified. And I thought of this, I've never
put this connection together before. When He says the last
shall be first, Listen to this, Romans 9, it
was said to her, the elder first shall serve the younger last. As it is written, Jacob have
I loved, Esau have I hated. The last was first by God's choice
and His mercy. Now, in closing, let me read
one example to you found in the book of Acts chapter 13. how the last shall be made first.
Acts chapter 13, Acts 13, verse 44. Here's a multitude of Jews
and Gentiles who heard the same preacher, the Apostle Paul, heard
the same message, heard the same message, be it known unto you
therefore, men and brethren, verse 38, that through this man
is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins, and by him all that
believe are justified from all things, but you could not be
justified by the law of Moses. Now look at verse 44, Acts 13,
44. And the next Sabbath day came
almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. But
when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and
spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting
and blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas whacked
bold and said, It was necessary that the Word of God should first
have been spoken unto you, but seeing that you put it from yourself,
and you judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn
to the Gentile, the last. For so hath the Lord commanded
us, saying, I have set thee to be a light to the Gentile, that
thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. Now
look at verse 48. And when the Gentiles heard this,
the last, they were glad, glorified the word of the Lord, and as
many as were ordained to eternal life, believed the gospel. They did strive to enter in by
the grace of God. May the Lord be pleased to bless
this day and may this be the day of your salvation. How should we escape if we neglect
so great salvation? May the Lord be pleased to bless
this day and this year as the day of our salvation. May 2018 be given to us to seek
salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. and to rest in Him. Blessed is
that man that seeketh the Lord and that findeth Him that strive
to enter in and to rest in our blessed Redeemer.