Two Gates, Two Paths, Two Foundations

Woodland Hills Church of Christ Podcast

Series: Sermon On The Mount

Service: Sun AM

Type: Sermon

Speaker: Berry Kercheville

Sermon on the Mount: Two Gates, Two Paths, Two Destinies

Matthew 7:13-27

Introduction:

The conclusion of a sermon typically is designed to have a lasting effect on the hearers. Jesus concludes his first recorded sermon with shocking, heart-penetrating words.

Jesus’ focuses our eyes on the alternatives in front of us. There are two gates through which we can choose to go. There are two paths on which we can choose to live our lives. There are not three choices, just two, and there are those who try to move us off the good path. There are two foundations upon which one can build. Each person has the choice; each person makes the choice. There is no avoiding it; you and I will take one gate or the other; one path or the other; one foundation or the other. Jesus looks us squarely in the eye and says, “Which will it be?”

Of course, there are not just two gates, two paths, and two foundations, there are also two destinies. That is why the choice is so critical.

Enter by the Narrow Gate (13-14)

Jesus begins this section with a command: Enter in... There is a clear implication here that we are standing before two gates. One gate is very attractive if for no other reason than it takes no effort to go through it. It is easy, natural. Every human gravitates toward it. But Jesus commands, “enter by the narrow gate.” In other words, there is a gate that is not nearly as noticeable, not nearly as attractive, and far, far more difficult.

When Jesus gives a similar picture in Lk. 13:24, He says “strive,” – Greek agonizomai – indicating a difficult, agonizing, effort; “To strain every nerve.” The same word is translated “labor fervently” in Col. 4:12.

It is important to note that the narrowness of the gate is what makes heaven more attractive. Titus 2:12 tells us that the Lord is calling for Himself a special people. Everyone who will be there, will be those who really wanted it; wanted it so badly that they went through the narrow gate and traveled the difficult path to get there. Jesus said later that we would sit down in the kingdom with the greats: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets. How special.

But there is also a paradox in these choices. There is the wide gate and broad way, but it leads to destruction. Then there is the narrow gate and difficult way, but it leads to life. People enter the wide gate because they want freedom; they do not like to be restrained; they want to really live! But what do they get? The path they take gets narrower and narrower until they end up in destruction – they end up exactly where they didn’t want to be in the first place. But those who choose the narrow gate have an opposite result. Yes, it is difficult and takes a lot of effort, but their path widens until the result is life; the very living that everyone wanted in the first place. So, do not look simply at the gate and the road, look at what is ahead; look at where they take you.

Then there is the contrast between the “few” and “many.” There is the rub. That will mess us up every time. We simply cannot believe that the majority could be wrong. Impossible! God wouldn’t just save a few! No, it is just a few who find it. A few entered the ark. A few entered Canaan. A few became spiritual Israel.

Beware of False Prophets

It is interesting that as soon as Jesus presents the choice of two gates and two paths, he quickly utters the words, “Beware...” This word screams of a huge danger. Jesus gives this warning in the same way we might warn a child of going into the street. Most people are so casual about figuring out what is the narrow path that it is beyond them to consider that there are sincere looking religious people who will try to deceive you into taking the wrong path. Nearly every book in the OT and NT warn against false prophets and false teachers.

I hear people all the time say, “Well, that’s hard! How am I suppose to know the difference? After all, they are well-studied, very religious, and seemingly very sincere. That is true – they appear to be sheep – true disciples, true teachers and followers of God. You can’t tell by their appearance or what they seem to be.

There is only one way to know. Jesus gives a straightforward test: what is their fruit based on their response to the word of God? God decides what is good fruit. It is not good just because a persons says Jesus is their Lord; it is good when a person does the will of the Father. That’s the difference.

But someone says, “Oh no, that means I would have to really work hard on studying the scripture to know who is telling the truth and who is a deceiver! I don’t want to do that – can’t you just tell me which is right and which is wrong?” Problem with that is, how do you know I’m right?You still have to study and figure it out.

Another thing. Notice that a false prophet is inwardly a “ravenous wolf.” A wolf just wants to satisfy its own appetite and thinks nothing of what might happen to the sheep in order to fulfill his desires. You will know the one who has on the sheep’s clothing because he will divide a flock in a moment & think nothing of it if it means satisfying his personal desires.

In 21-23, Jesus brings up a side to false teachers to which we usually give little thought. We think of a paid pastor who might take people astray, but what about people we associate with all the time who strongly and sincerely believe that they love God and are going to heaven? Those people often affect us far more than a church leader. Have you ever heard someone say, “I have friends who are such good people. I know that they aren’t following the commands and principles in scripture, but they really love the Lord and I just can’t believe they would be lost.”

Isn’t that the kind of person Jesus described in this text? These people call Jesus their Lord. They tell others about Jesus and exalt his name. They cast out demons in Jesus name [in other words, they really dislike the devil and his angels]. And, they do many wonderful works in Jesus name. Do you notice that they are all about promoting Jesus. He is their primary concern.

Does this kind of person affect us? Does this kind of person sway our hearts to loosen up God’s standards? Sure does! There is no way someone like that could be lost. In fact, when on that day Jesus says, “Depart...” even they will be shocked!!

There’s just one problem with all this good reasoning we do about our friend. Jesus calls people like this workers of lawlessness. What is “lawless?” Simple. All those good works in his name that they do is not what the Lord told them to do! There is no authority for it. There is no law they can turn to that would give them to right to do what they are calling “good works.” As Jesus said in verse 21, they do not “do the will of my Father who is in heaven.” It is the same thing as the worship of Cain, or the different fire offered by Nadab and Abihu, or Uzzah touching the Ark. We cannot approach God doing whatever we make up and think is good.

Conclusion: 7:24-27

The final picture is that of building on a foundation. Every man builds a house; every man! Jesus doesn’t talk about what the house looks like. Both houses look fine. If we only looked at the house, we might choose one as well as the other. But it is the foundation that is critical. A person of the world can take their life and match it against mine and say, “My building is a good as yours!” Sorry my friend, that isn’t the test. It is just summer time right now and the rains haven’t come and the winds haven’t blown. When your house isn’t built on “these sayings of Mine,” Jesus says, then great is its fall!

So, where is your house built? The question isn’t whether you are religious or whether you say, Lord, Lord. The question is whether your life is built on what Jesus has said in this sermon!

Remember Jesus’ words in 5:19-20? “Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven...For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”