Which Gate?

Which Gate?
Matthew 7:13-14
There are two gates.
1. One is wide (v. 13).
2. One is narrow/small (v. 13 & 14).
There are two ways.
1. One is broad (v. 13).
2. One is narrow (v. 14).
There are two destinations.
1. One is destruction (v. 13).
2. One is life (v. 14).
There are two groups of people.
1. One is large (v. 13).
2. One is small (v. 14)

Two ways to look at the passage

1. Salvation or entrance into heaven- The common way to look at this passage. Luke 13:23 “are there few who are saved”
Narrow- it suggests that we are not bringing anything with us- sacrifice Christ’s Sacrifice

No room for stuff or wealth (accomplishments) Mark 8:36 “what does it profit”
No room for your good deeds (achievements) Eph 2:8-9
No room for your own philosophy (accolades) Col 2:8
Most importantly no room for un-forgiven sin which is really what is keeping us out Rom 6:23

Wide – all that stuff is welcome, it can fit

The American way is that more is better.
but when it comes to spiritual things less seems to be better.

Result=Destruction-condemned for eternity separate from the Lord
Result of the narrow = life

How do we enter the Narrow?
Believe and receive the truth about Jesus John 1:12

Truth is narrow John 14:6
No condemnation John 5:24
That when He died He was paying the price for our sins which are keeping us from Him.

It is not difficult because of God, it is difficult because…
1. We have a problem letting our pride down and admitting we need Him


2. 2 Cor 4:4 tells us the Satan blinds the minds of unbelievers.

Then once we do lay it all down we realize all the things that we were holding onto could have never brought the fulfillment or the right relationship that we receive when we trust the Lord.

Why only a few?
1 Corinthians 1:22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness

Because people want to hold on

2. The uncommon way of looking at this passage is staying on the narrow path of obedience. That is a narrow path because each situation has the right thing (truth one way) or many wrong things. In many cases it is easier to disobey then obey.

1. Many go the wide gate of disobedience. How can we avoid that in 2008?
A. Don’t follow the crowd in doing wrong Ex 23:2
Non-Christian Crowd, Christian Crowd
Galatians 2:20
B. Don’t believe Satan’s lies John 8:44
- Satan hates God and is so angry with Him that he wants to get back at God through us
-Satan’s Discouragement
-Distraction & hang us up
-Jealous of us because we will be exalted above him and where he once was. Player hating
-How do we know it is Satan? Test it by the Scriptures, which brings us to our next point.
C. Don’t neglect your time spent with God, spiritual feeding
Daily time reading & learning, prayer, gathering with other Christians. Josh 1:8
D. Sinful Desires Romans 7:20 “It is the sin dwelling within me”Welcome to the fallout Welcome to resistance The tension is here The tension is here Between who you are and who you could be Between how it is and how it should be

These things all lead to destructive spiritual patterns in life that need be addressed
The results are either a destructive life or a fruitful life next week we will talk about what the fruitful life looks like.

In 2008 I dare you to move…from where you are to where you need to be.