Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / The Sermon On The Mount
Raising The Bar By Choosing Wisely 05/11/08
Sermon Series: Raising the bar:
Living above mediocrity
Message:
‘Raising the Bar by choosing wisely’ pt.1
Text: Matthew 7:13-29
Introduction: The number 2 is significant in the Bible. There are
· 2 great lights in the heavens
· Animals went into the ark 2 by 2
· 2 tablets of stone (10 Commandments)
· 2 sons of Abraham
· Samson redeemed himself between 2 pillars
· 2 sets of brothers in the 12 disciples
· we can serve one of 2 masters (God or Money)
· 2 thieves on the cross
· 2 births and 2 deaths
· 2 resurrections
· 2 Testaments (Old and New)
and as we’ll see in our text in the next 2 messages…there are also
· 2 gates
· 2 fruit
· 2 followers
· 2 foundations
Jesus will challenge us to choose between the two options. Why? Because
· Choices establish patterns
· Patterns become habits
· Habits develop into character
It’s true that some choices are more important than others. It’s also true that some choices will change your life forever. These are the kinds of choices Jesus is addressing in our text.
Background
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has been building the case that the Kingdom of God is something other than what the people thought it was.
· He radically redefined who makes up the Kingdom of God by saying it’s not those who are ethnic Jews but those who are committed to Him.
· He radically redefined life in the Kingdom of God by saying it’s not what the Pharisees have been living and teaching.
· Jesus ends his Sermon on the Mount with a series of choices that everyone must make in order to live in his kingdom.
Transition: Open your Bibles to Matthew 7:13 (pg. 742 in the Bibles under the chair in front of you) For it’s there we’ll discover we raise the bar of spiritual expectations and actions in our lives by choosing wisely.
I. 2 Kinds of Gates Matthew 7:13-14
Read: Matthew 7:13-14
Jesus is telling us that there are 2 gates and 2 roads that lead to 2 different outcomes.
Notice that Jesus is boldly committing what is believed by most in our modern society to be one of the gravest sins…‘narrow mindedness.’ To Jesus there is no doubt whatsoever that there is a right and a wrong gate.
If our desired eternal destination is heaven, then we must understand the characteristics of the gate than Jesus tells us to enter
A. The Narrow Gate
‘Enter through the narrow gate… For small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life,
and only a few find it.’
First, this gate is small.
· But it is a gate and we can thank God that it’s not shut. Amen?
· Jesus has opened the gate by his death on the cross, his resurrection from the dead and his ascension into heaven.
· Jesus’ death on the cross paid the toll, if you will, for God to open the gate to all who place their trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin and eternal life in heaven.
· The right gate may be small…but praise God it’s still open!
Second, the road is narrow.
· Narrow implies exclusion…one lane, one direction, one destination. Didn’t Jesus already say that in another way?
Read: John 14:6 ‘Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’
· Narrow also implies we must come alone and bring nothing with us. The picture of a turnstile works for me. You can only go through the turnstile one at a time and you can’t carry any baggage with you. We enter the Kingdom of God individually and without the burdens of the world.
· Narrow implies true as well. Truth is not relative or subjective.
Something is either true or it’s not. And
truth is true regardless of how we feel about
it.
The Gate is small and the road narrow.
Third, only a few find this gate.
· Why? Because only a few are looking for it. Didn’t Jesus say ‘Seek and you will find?’ Didn’t Paul say ‘Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved?’
· The problem is, most people are more concerned with worldly pursuits and have no time to seek spiritual things.
Finally, the small gate leads to life.
· The life Jesus is speaking of is eternal life, he’s describing the way to heaven.
· But the life Jesus is talking about is not just in the future…it’s now! God’s blessings and the power of his presence…is real life…and we can experience now!
Transition: Well, I said Jesus ends his Sermon on the Mount describing a choice between two options. The small gate is placed in contrast to the wide gate.
B. The Wide Gate
‘For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction and many enter through it.’
What are the characteristics of the Wide Gate?
First, the gate is broad.
· We like things that are broad or wide…like roads. Ever drive behind a slow-poke? On a broad road, we can change lanes and speed right past him. We can drive the way we want to drive, ignoring the laws of the road.
I think for similar reasons, we’re attracted to the broad road that we think leads to heaven, because it gives us room to travel through life the way we want…without having to follow the laws of God.
· To enter this gate and travel on this road requires nothing and you can believe whatever you want…or believe nothing. Any lifestyle is possible and accepted.
The gate is broad.
Second, the road is crowded.
· It’s found easily and traveled on by many. There’s room enough for everyone to come through this gate.
· It’s the way of the majority and in that lies one of its dangers. Because the way of the majority often seems the right way…after all, how can so many people be wrong?
Third, the road is wide.
· You can bring anything and everything with you, all the worldly baggage you can carry.
We like this gate, we want to travel on this road, because it appeals to our human nature. It offers us things like
· Self fulfillment
· Pleasure
· Achievement
· Affirmation
· Immediate gratification
· Comfort
· Ease
· Living by our own standards
BUT…be warned
The final characteristic of the wide gate and broad road is that they lead to destruction.
· It’s a dead end…literally! It’s the way of eternal death, the gate and road lead straight to hell.
Read: Proverbs 14:12 ‘There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.’
Unfortunately by denying God’s Word, by rebelling against God’s Will it’s as if we have taken down the warning sign
‘Danger! Death Ahead’
Conclusion
All choices have a beginning, an entry point that shapes the process. For those who would be followers of Jesus Christ, the beginning point of our decision making must be our willingness to embrace, the will of God in our daily choices. Remember
· Choices establish patterns
· Patterns become habits
· Habits develop into character
By the will of God I’m not so much talking about his specific will for our lives but more so about God’s overall will for our moral compass.
We must decide whether we consider our lives as belonging to us alone or to God as Lord and Master. Jesus calls us to understand that if we call him Lord, certain choices in our life will be limited by that decision.
· Have a child at an inconvenient time in life? Exercise your freedom, your right to end the pregnancy.
-When you enter through the narrow gate and travel on the narrow road…this is not an option.
· Want a sexual experience outside your marriage, apart from your spouse? Go ahead, as long as no one gets hurt, it’s your right.
-When you enter through the narrow gate and travel on the narrow road…this is not an option.
Everyone talks about their rights, but few ever talk about their responsibilities. The idea of sacrifice of self for the greater good of family, community, church is not popular today.
Jesus is calling all those who are his to stay clear of the wide gate, to stay off the broad road of unlimited personal choice. And instead travel through the small gate, journey on the narrow road shaped by the plan and maintained by the will of Almighty God.
The gate may be small and the road may be narrow, the options more limited, but Jesus promises life, real life, abundant life to all who choose the small gate and travel the narrow road.
We’re at a climatic moment in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus is saying ‘I’ve been talking about life in the kingdom and what it takes to be a citizen there...
· It’s time for you to join the Kingdom.
· It’s time for you to choose the right gate, travel on the right road and be blessed with life…my life….for all eternity in heaven.
· Follow me, enter through the narrow gate. Oh and by the way…in case there is any question or confusion…
Read: John 10:9 ‘I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.’
Wow. See how it all fits together? Unfortunately there are still many who don’t see it…even many Christians.
· According to a recent survey 70% of all adult American Christians believe there are no moral absolutes that apply to everyone. That means most Christians have joined the world in believing that they can set their own standard for morality, for how they live.
· In a similar survey, only 20% of adult American Christians said that living a life according to God’s will is the most important thing in their lives. So 80% of adult Christians are telling God… to take a number.
In June we will begin a new journey through the Book of Acts. The birth and development of God’s church…exciting! But did you know that in the Book of Acts, Christianity is often called ‘The Way?’
· Well it seems the people of ‘The Way’… have lost their way.
In the Book of Deuteronomy God told the people of Moses’ day and us as well…
· ‘I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing…choose life that you may live.’
In the Book of Joshua, Joshua told the people of his day and us as well…
· Choose this day whom you will serve. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’
God is clearly telling us to choose wisely.
Anyone remember the famous song ‘Stairway to Heaven’? It was recorded by ???? Led Zeppelin and was one of the most popular songs of the 70’s. In the song there is a line that goes like this…
‘Yes, there are two paths you can by. But in the long run, there’s still time to change the road you’re on.’
Perhaps you’ve veered off the narrow road, perhaps you are standing at the wide gate and want to enter…there is still time to change the road you’re on.
We raise the bar of spiritual expectations and actions in our lives by choosing wisely.