Matthew 7:13-14 Journey Into Eternity

 

 

Introduction:  Jesus pictures the individual as being within the walls of a city.  The individual must leave the city and go to another.  There are two gates and two roadways to choose from.

 

I.  The two gates.

            A.  One gate is very wide.

                        1.  Many people can go thru all at one time and they do.

                        2.  This wide gate represents everything except the true way of salvation.

                        3.  Through this gate walks people of every known so called Christian denomination. 

                                    (Baptist, Methodists, Catholic, etc.).

                        4.  Thru this gate walks people of the non-Christian religions.

                                    (Buddhists, Hindus, Islamists, Shintoos, etc.).

                        5.  Thru this gate walks people of the various cults.

                        6.  Thru this gate walks people who have no religion.  (Atheists and infidels).

                        7.  Thru this gate walks people of every social standing.  (The elite – the honored – kings and

                                    queens, presidents, etc; the unknowns; and all in between).

                        8.  Great masses of people throng thru the wide gate.

            B.  One gate is a narrow gate.

                        1.  S-t-r-a-i-t means narrow.

                        2.  This gate is so insignificant that few notice.

                        3.  But there are a few who turn away from the crowd and squeeze thru the narrow gate.

                        4.  This gate represents the true way of salvation.

                        5.  One who enters this gate must unburden himself of sin in repentance in order to get thru,

                                    Luke 13:3.

                        6.  He must trust Jesus Christ as Savior in order to get thru.  (John 3:18 says that one who

                                    has believed is thru the gate: he that has not believed has not gone thru the gate.)

                       

II.  The two roadways.

            A.  The wide gate opens up to a broad road.  (Many people travel and there is room for all.)

                        1.  This broad way represents the life on earth of the unsaved.

                        2.  One has lots of room:  he can do pretty much as he pleases.

                        3.  He can be as moral or as religious as he chooses.

                        4.  He can be as immoral as he chooses. 

                                    (Prostitute, drunk, a thief, a murderer, a dope addict, etc.).

                        5.  He can have as little religion as he chooses. 

                                    (Most want a little to add a touch of respectability.)

            B.  The strait gate opens up to a narrow roadway.

                        1.  It is narrow because it goes up the mountain to higher ground. 

                                    (Mountain roads can get very narrow.)

                        2.  This road represents the life of the saved on earth.

                        3.  It is narrow because of the strict regulations the Lord has put on it.

                        4.  It being narrow and steep represents hardships. 

                                    (The Christian life can be filled with persecution and hard labor.)

                        5.  There may be places when the Christian yields to sin and his road goes temporarily down

                                    grade.

                        6.  But then it goes onward and upward.

                        7.  There is beautiful scenery on a road like this, but the shame is that very few see it.

 

III.  The two destinies

            A.  The broad road leads to destruction.

                        1.  This road ends abruptly in a deep, deep pit.

                        2.  This pit is called in scripture “the lake of fire and brimstone.”

                        3.  Countless millions of unbelievers go into this pit, Revelations 20:15.

                        4.  In the fire there is untold pain; there is endless suffering.

            B.  The narrow road ends in heaven.

                        1.  Jesus simply said that it leads to life.

                        2.  Perhaps He did not enlarge upon it for brevity sake.

                        3.  Perhaps because words fail to describe it.

                        4.  Whatever the ultimate in beauty and ecstasy is that is what is found at the end of the narrow

                                    road.

                       

Conclusion 

Some of you are facing a choice of two gates right now.

            1.  Jesus said, “Enter ye in at the strait gate.”

                        a.  No matter what others may say.

                        b.  No matter what others may do.

                        c.  You trust Jesus Christ and be saved right now.

Some of you have already entered the strait gate.

            2.  You are already saved.  Jesus knew that you would need a New Testament church to be a member of

                        while you walk the narrow way.  You may find some as good as Pleasant Hill but you will not

                        find many better.

 

Preached at Pleasant Hill 11-7-82 A.M.

Preached at Westwood M.B.C., Yazoo City, Mississippi 11-28-82 P.M.