Well, if you're visiting this morning, we are working through the Sermon on the Mount, and we are in chapter 7. Last time we came to this sort of first call of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus called us to ask and to seek and to knock, and we will be looking now at verses 13 through 14. I would like to read from 13 and 14 down a bit so that we can hear the context and understand it. There's a context that precedes it, which I hope we set last time, but I do want you to hear what follows. So again, at verse 13 and 14 of Matthew chapter 7, page 965, we'll begin. Let's give our attention this morning to God's holy word. Enter by the narrow gate, for the gate is wide, and the way is easy that leads to destruction. And those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow, and the way is hard that leads to life. And those who find it are few. Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? So every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven. But the one who does the will of my father who is in heaven on that day many will say to me lord lord Did we not prophesy in your name and cast out demons in your name and do many mighty works in your name And then I will declare to you. I never knew you depart from me you workers of lawlessness Everyone then who hears notice the statement Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat on that house but it did not fall because it had been founded on the rock and everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand and the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house and it fell and great was the fall of it may the lord bless this morning hearing of his word again verse 13 and 14 is our text well we're moving uh to the end of the sermon on the mount and jesus is now pressing us to a response that that is what is before us today he's pressing us to a response to all of this the two verses today these two verses verses 13 and 17 13 and 14 are absolutely crucial to one of the main purposes of the sermon on the mount that jesus has been moving toward everything is moving toward a conclusion he is not simply giving all this truth with no aim or goal or application of it and that's exactly what we have today in verses 13 and 14 and it makes me wonder when we think about this important call that we have from jesus today how important there is in the history of the of the scriptures and israel how important it was that at certain moments the prophets stopped and they did this they gave instruction and they taught after long periods and then all of a sudden they would say things like this especially in moments of great sin or especially in moments of great apostasy think of this and think of some of the few of these that god gave these calls to then moses stood at the gate of the camp and said drawing the line you remember who was on the lord's side let him come to me and a great number did and a great number didn't Deuteronomy 30. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live, that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and your length of days, that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them. who can forget Joshua. And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. Whether the gods which your father served, which were on the other side of the river, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Elijah, Mount Carmel, and the people had become idolaters, remember. how long will you falter between two opinions why are you bouncing back between two opinions there's no middle ground here if the lord is god worship him if baal is god worship him follow him i could keep going jeremiah 21 now you shall say to this people thus says the lord behold i set before you the way of life and the way of death make the choice so this is not uncommon to the scriptures this is everywhere in the old covenant where jesus was making calls to come to him for life to choose you this day and i wonder in preaching where we get so used to the rhythm of coming up and hearing preaching and maybe we say that was a bad sermon today or maybe we say that was a good sermon today and we might pick it apart or we might say wow, I was really moved by that sermon. What did you do with it? What did you do with it? That's an important question to Jesus. And Jesus now does one of His own. He gives the great call in the Sermon on the Mount, the choose-you-this-day-like call in the Sermon on the Mount. It's time. Enter the narrow gate. for broad is the way and wide is the path that leads to destruction and many people are walking through that. It's time to enter. As I said in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus comes across and I think it's so fascinating to be able to listen to His tone in these sermons. I think it was a pleading tone. A tone of great concern for the people. This is a sermon you remember that is not given to the world, beloved. This is a sermon given to those following him. Those engaging him. Those deciding between opinions, if you will. And now this great call comes, enter my kingdom. Enter my kingdom. And that's what we're essentially looking at today in the Sermon on the Mount. This important call that he gives, the choice that is set before us, and then the conclusion to the matter. So that's the breakdown of what is before us. It's a simple one, but I hope it helps as we work briefly through these verses. We had just finished listening to Jesus speak of his hard way, if you will. Judge not lest you be judged. For with the measure you use it, it'll be measured back to you. He was talking about the rash judgment of people who are constantly judging everyone in this life. That was a hard section to go through. That was a challenging section to go through. As I've said over and over again, we have judging all wrong. We refuse to make judgments about what's right and wrong, but we sit in judgment on everyone rashly. And we make this the way of life. And in the middle of that, when he said, do not judge, and you'll notice at the end of this section, right before what I read today, he said, so, conclusion to the matter, Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. For that's the law and the prophets. That's the intention of the law and the prophets. In the middle he said, ask, seek, knock. It's not the health and wealth stuff we looked at. That is precisely what are you asking God for? What are you seeking for? What are you knocking for? He has specifically on his mind the great call he had just given. The great call to be different. and behavior. Well, now we come to this gracious call that he gives with his great interest to deliver people. You know that's Jesus' intention for you. Let me say this up front. His intention for all of you is to deliver you. His intention for all of you is to set you free. His intention for all of you in the great love is that you would enter in and come to know the joy of this comfort that's that's the intention in these gracious calls that's the intention in gospel calls for you you have to believe that so what's holding you back that's what we're faced with today now we come to the ultimate call in the sermon on the mount he begins by enter the narrow gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way that lead to destruction and many enter through it. I think it's helpful to sort of paint the picture that Jesus is painting here. What he describes is someone walking through this life. And all of a sudden they're faced with standing in front of two gates. Maybe it's the fork in the road. And there's two gates in front of you. one gate is very broad one gate is very wide and the traveler looks at the gate and there are masses of people walking through it the majority of the people are walking through this gate then he looks over and he sees this very narrow gate it's constricting it's narrow we don't even like the word narrow in our christianity do we we want to be wide and accepting and broad narrow only one person can squeeze in at a time it looks like one old writer was describing this when he said i looked up and i saw a little door in the mountain and when I kept coming to the door, I couldn't go in. And so I had to go back and shut off some of my clothing and it was so exacting, it was so exacting. Finally, I was totally naked and I was able to squeeze my head through and I was able then to put my shoulders through and pushing hard, my body went through to the other side and I never came back. That's the imagery. It's a resting imagery. It's meant to be. now this may be the most important text in the bible in some ways because as i said you can you can go along and hear a lot and i never really think what am i supposed to do with this what are we looking at i think that's the sort of first question we have to wrestle with a little bit if you take the big picture view here jesus is and i've i've tried to help you to to notice when we're looking at the Scriptures to read them in their context. That's so important, especially with this. The big distinction here that he's made and why I read to the end of the Sermon on the Mount, we are now presented in the Sermon on the Mount with some pretty radical distinctions here. Two gates, two trees, two kinds of fruit on that tree, two very different kinds of people in this life who are building two very different kinds of houses. So he's pressing us with contrast, as the Old Testament writers did all the time. He's pressing us with contrast to ask the basic question, who am I? Where am I headed? What does my path say? Now, this is an interesting way that he describes it here. You'll notice he speaks here. First, he calls us to go to this, enter this narrow gate. That's the first call that's given. And then he describes a difficult way, path, that leads to life. So notice that gate, path, life is the order, at least, in which Jesus gives it. But in contrast, people enter a wide gate, and then they follow along a path that is broad, and the end of that is destruction, he says. Now, he's already said, ask, seek, and knock. So if you put some of this together, you get a traveler who is thinking a lot and he's wrestling with all that's being said. So he begins to ask and he begins to seek for this and he begins to knock on that gate. And if you pressed me for what Jesus is describing, he's borrowing, I believe, from one of the greatest contrasts ever made in the Old Testament Scriptures. And that's Psalm 1. blessed is the man who walks not according to the counsel of the ungodly nor stands in the path of sinners nor sits in the seat of the scornful but his delight is in the law of the lord and in his law he meditates day and night you know that when the old testament writers say law they're not always thinking specifically of their or narrowly focused of just the ten commandments they're speaking of the whole word of god in the old old testament that word has become central to this man that word has become central to this life but not so the ungodly they they are on an entirely different path in this life and they will not stand in the judgment to come for the lord knows the way of the path of the righteous but the path or the way of the ungodly is one that will perish when we read it we're quick to explain that psalm as something that can't be described as us but i think you have to remember what jesus is doing in the sermon on the mount he's describing the new humanity in the last atom all humanity is broken into two atoms the first atom in which we fell and the last atom who is in christ and jesus in the sermon on the mount it's an entire sermon about the path of the new created man so jesus now after all this instruction think of all the weeks we've gone through the sermon on the mount after all this instruction now he says let me present you with a gate two gates and two paths which are you on which are you on what are we looking at beloved what does all this mean well the sermon on the mount can't be disconnected this call from its context Jesus has just given a dandy of a sermon, hasn't he? How uncomfortable. It's been completely uncomfortable. He told us that true religion that honors the law comes from where? The heart. And that has to do with everything that you do in this life than when it relates to the law. You know, when you think about like he addressed murder. If you're hating someone from the heart, you're in danger of the hellfire. You're refusing to forgive. He went to adultery. Yeah, it's far greater than the actual act. It's actually every time you look at a woman to lust in your heart, you are an adulterer. and your whole approach to people now has to radically change you you are not to be a people who are exacting strict justice on people in my kingdom that is that way is done justice has been met that's why i'm here you are to turn your other cheek you are to give to those who ask you are to go the second mile all your acts of devotion by the way prayer fasting and giving should be done for nobody to see and you shouldn't lay up your treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy you should lay them up in heaven and and by the way you cannot serve god and mammon there's no middle ground to that and i don't want you being given to worry you are not to rashly judge you would do unto others as you would have them do unto you for that's the law and the prophet? You have a choice with all that. Right? Great sermon. Amen, Jesus. You hit it on the head. I suppose the right and deepest response right at the beginning is the absolutely impossibleness, if you will, of the sermon. And that's why you need a Savior, beloved. This is why Jesus came. I'll get there in a minute. But I want to start with this. You just heard a powerful sermon. What did you do with it? What is your reaction? is jesus responding so that we just giving this kind of deep penetrating teaching so that we say great sermon today really convicted me what have we done with our christianity in what follows he addresses fruit doesn't he now you're going to discern who's true and false in this life when it comes to the arena of teaching by the fruit that is for. So I'm concerned about fruit. And then he concludes the sermon with this. Whoever hears these sayings of mine, blessed is he who hears these sayings of mine and does them. You cannot get out of this by saying, I just can't do it. He doesn't let you do that. He just said you're blessed if you do them. That's the end of the sermon. Well, let's think about what Jesus was dealing with. What was he dealing with in his ministry? His whole time, there were crowds following him that were caught up in the enthusiasm of it all, weren't they? Those were by far the biggest number following him. There were traditionalists who followed him. Obviously, he's dealing with the Pharisees and the scribes because the religion never got in the heart. There are all these different kinds of people following Jesus. There were those who followed from a distance and listened to Jesus but never took seriously what he was saying. That was a great number. Again, we're not out so far in the world here. We're talking about the band of people around Jesus. There were many people who heard all this and praised it. But John 6, they wouldn't follow him lest they should be put out of the synagogue. It didn't cost them a thing. There were all those following who never wanted to make the commitment, well, let me first go bury my father. You know, then I'll come. My family is first. Then I'll come. Excuses, excuses, excuses. Maybe you could just put it this way. You know this. It's just like driving down a Southern California freeway. You've got those who could care less and they're speeding by you at 100 and you're calling for the cops. You've got the rubberneckers who when something happens on the side of the road, they're stopping up the whole thing. You've got those who are the authorities. You've got those who generally are kind of interested in things. Then there are those who might actually put something in the GPS, you know, figure out the right way. All kinds of responses to Jesus. And you see, this is just what Jesus is thinking about. He's about to talk about fruits. What's genuine, what's true. Apart from those who practice lawlessness. So listen to him. Whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, that's the last section of the Sermon on the Mount, is like a man who built his house on the rock. He's giving a call. The way of the blessed. Listen to me. This is what he's after. The way of the blessed in this life is very narrow. Jesus is no false teacher. How do you know a false teacher? They do not say that. Everything about a false teacher is easy and wide and broad. Antinomian to the extreme. This is what all the epistles are dealing with. Jesus knows there's all kinds of fence sitting in his kingdom. Jesus knows that he said things that are hard and narrow. In fact, he said the most narrow thing ever, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Do you understand the radical implications of that, beloved? There is no other way to heaven. Not Allah, not Joseph Smith, not Gandhi. No other religion except this is the way. It's the only way to heaven, through me. No one can go to the heaven, to the Father, apart from me. That's as narrow and restricting as you can get. There are all kinds of people in the kingdom who can hear a good sermon, but they've never appropriated it. They've never responded to it. And all these people love what's greatly popular. That's the easy way. no self-denial, no conviction of the law, anything that inconveniences people to be hearers and not doers. The hard way, one of denying yourself, taking up your cross and following. Maybe I could present it this way. Matthew 11, verse 12. And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force. I know there's two different interpretations on that, but I take the sort of old Watson approach. That what we have described by Jesus in his kingdom were so many people thronging to hear the gospel. The kingdom of heaven is kind of like an army taking over a city. and the violent take it by force. The people entering the kingdom, and if this is the correct approach, which I think it is, someone can challenge me, we're not literally violent in the kingdom. It's this big picture of the enthusiasm and excitement for John the Baptist and Jesus' ministry. people were hungry for truth. You couldn't keep these people away. They want to come in the door. They want the kingdom. They're like the man who found one pearl of great price and he went and bought that pearl and sold everything else because he found the one pearl. Jesus is not like a modern preacher, just comforting everyone to death. No, the way is difficult, the way is hard that leads to life. Few find it. You will be persecuted if you come to me. You will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. You will suffer loss. Blessed are you if that's so. So one pastor, no, just read the bios of all the great men of the past who believed in justification by faith alone. Think of Luther in his cell, fasting, sweating, and praying. Look at the devotion in the kingdoms of this world. Now let me just think about this just for a second, because I don't want to draw too much of a parallel, but I do want to think about it. Look at the energy that came out of last night. What's everyone talking about right now? What's animated people right now? Our nation has always suffered political violence. But look at how a common cause, united by a figure, will take the masses in radical commitment. Well, our king, the true king of heaven and earth, did what for us? This is really good news. He laid down his life for you. he died the cruel death of crucifixion. It wasn't something that grazed the ear. He had the wrath of God poured upon him in body and soul and he willingly did it for you. The cruel death of the cross. What kind of commitment and what kind of following should follow that? What do you think? Fence setting? Where do you stand, says Jesus. Have you committed yourself to being a Christian? He defines it. What controls your life? What drives you? Are you on the easy path, the wide path? Or that kind of path that costs nothing. Costs you nothing. Choose you this day. No, no excuses. I'm not teaching some works righteousness. No excuses. Stop that. Choose you this day. Enter the gate. Who is the gate? Most assured that I say to you, He who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same as a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. He who enters by the door is the shepherd. Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear him. I am the door. I am the gate. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and he will go in and out and find pasture. Wow. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me. I'm the entrance to the kingdom. We come to him, and then we walk an entirely different path. A difficult path that leads to your ultimate destination. it's narrow the whole way beloved and how you think what you do it's going to cost you the whole whole way you can't pay play the game of trying to synchronize your walk with the world and your convictions on any issue worship whatever you can't do that christian saw a beautiful gate and four strong men if i can quote bunyan in armor standing before it to the side sat a man at a desk with a book in which to write the names of those who entered above on the walls stood a host robed in white watching no one seemed willing to go in until a brave man stepped forward and said to the scribe, Write down my name. Having done, he donned a helmet, drew his sword, and rushed forward to fight the men blocking the gate. They fought him with deadly force, but slashing and hacking his way most fiercely and giving and receiving many wounds, he succeeded in cutting his way into the palace. There he was welcomed, clothed in white, and took his place in the city. I want to make sure what I'm saying here is clear, especially to the children. This way is not miserable. He is saying this way is blessed. This is those who are blessed to be on this way. blessed are you who are poor in spirit you didn't choose that blessed are you who are meek that's not your way blessed are the merciful theirs is the kingdom blessed are the peacemakers for they shall see god blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness they shall be filled blessed are the persecuted is the capstone blessed is the man of psalm 1 we walk this path because we have been forgiven in christ we walk this path because it's a christian path we walk this path because we're delivered and saved we want we walk this path because it marks us with a fruit that's different from the world it's who we are we're not perfect on this path you see this is why sunday is so important you can't walk this path without the sabbath did you hear me it's a shame on us if we can sacrifice this this is where your forgiveness and help is announced this is where strength is given this is where we continue to ask seek and knock we strive to enter It's our life. And so he turns to us after hearing a great sermon and he says, what have you done with it, beloved? If truth be told, have you heard these sayings of mine and entered the narrow gate? It's the most important question of life. Blessed is the man who hears these sayings of mine and does them come to the gate. Enter in today. His mercies are wonderful. His forgiveness is forever. His strength is from everlasting to everlasting. The wide gate, the broad path leads to eternal hell. Don't go through it. Don't walk it. Don't walk through the gate of unbelief. To close this today, probably the most shocking statement is when somebody came up to Jesus in his ministry in front of the disciples and said, Lord, are there a few who are going to be saved? Maybe you're stuck on that right now. What a sad thing. It seems like there's just going to be a couple people saved and the masses aren't. And he said to them, strive to enter the narrow door. I'm not letting you do that. Don't play that game. That's a game. Oh, it's all hopeless. I can't do this. Stop. Strive. Your responsibility, your responsibility, my responsibility is to hear the call and enter. Don't delay. Come. I will forgive your sins. I will wash you. I will cleanse you. And you will be on a new path of a new creation that I will work in you as a blessed man. Come. And if you pressed me about it more, I'll take you to Revelation 7 and I'll show you a multitude around the throne no man can number. Praising God forever. So you enter and join it. You enter today and join it. I need to enter today and join it. Come. It's a gracious call. He's not saying this to make everyone and leave them distressed. Come. Enter. What a God. The king of the earth is telling you to enter who died for you. Having squeezed through the door, having put our head in and leaving everything behind since we can't take it anyways, we begin to walk as children blessed of the Father. Separate, set apart, His in the earth. And that path leads you right to eternal life, He says. Amen. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for encouraging us in the scriptures this morning. We thank you, Lord, for this great call. May it be heard. May the excuses go away. May we enter this day resting, believing, and taking seriously what you've said to us. We praise you, O Lord, for your gracious interaction and call to us. Thank you for being so long-suffering and patient. May this sermon, if it was heard today, not just be a sermon that pleased us, but a sermon that called us to enter in and one that we responded to. May it be a responding to all of our life every day as we strive to enter this gate and as we walk a path of righteousness, as we are guided by the Good Shepherd for his namesake. Hear our prayer and receive our thanksgiving. Thank you for being so wonderful to lost sinners. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you.