Jesus came preaching His gospel of salvation to the Jews …
“I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matthew 15:24)
The Narrow Way
Matthew 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 (confined) is the way which leads to life,
and there are few who find it.”
Luke 13:
22 And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.
23 Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them,
24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
25 When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door,
and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying,
‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’
26 then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’
27 But He will say,
‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’
28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob
and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.
29 They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south,
and sit down in the kingdom of God.
30 And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first (the Jews) who will be last.”
The Narrow Way demands obedience
Matthew 7:
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’, shall enter the kingdom of heaven,
but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name,
cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ ”
Matthew 7:
24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them,
I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:
25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house;
and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26 But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them,
will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:
27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell.
And great was its fall.”
Luke 6:
46 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?
47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:
48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.
And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it,
for it was founded on the rock.
49 But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation,
against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”
The sayings that Jesus was referring to are found in Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7.
Difficult … but it’s all about the attitude of one’s heart.
Remorse over sin followed by sincere repentance is the KEY to life!
We have 2 trinities to help us, i.e. giving us no excuses:
-- a new nature (heart)
-- the word of God
-- the indwelling Holy Spirit (actually all of the Holy Trinity)
However, many choose the way of cheap grace because it doesn’t cost them anything.
“I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matthew 15:24)
The Narrow Way
Matthew 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 (confined) is the way which leads to life,
and there are few who find it.”
Luke 13:
22 And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.
23 Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them,
24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
25 When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door,
and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying,
‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’
26 then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’
27 But He will say,
‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’
28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob
and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.
29 They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south,
and sit down in the kingdom of God.
30 And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first (the Jews) who will be last.”
The Narrow Way demands obedience
Matthew 7:
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’, shall enter the kingdom of heaven,
but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name,
cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ ”
Matthew 7:
24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them,
I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:
25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house;
and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26 But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them,
will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:
27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell.
And great was its fall.”
Luke 6:
46 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?
47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:
48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.
And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it,
for it was founded on the rock.
49 But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation,
against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”
The sayings that Jesus was referring to are found in Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7.
Difficult … but it’s all about the attitude of one’s heart.
Remorse over sin followed by sincere repentance is the KEY to life!
We have 2 trinities to help us, i.e. giving us no excuses:
-- a new nature (heart)
-- the word of God
-- the indwelling Holy Spirit (actually all of the Holy Trinity)
However, many choose the way of cheap grace because it doesn’t cost them anything.
