Safely On The Narrow Path
Matthew 7:13-29
*Sermon was not recorded due to technical difficulties. The following is a rough manuscript of the sermon.
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Today we examine the conclusion of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and consider a collection of verses that require no introduction.
The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus’ explanation of the kingdom of God from character qualities of the beatitudes to obedience not just to the letter, but the spirit of the law to living a life having an audience of one
All of those things characterize the kingdom of God and those in it…
But today we read one final, dire description of the kingdom of God.
And that is the tragic, painful, sobering reality that there are people who think they are in the kingdom of God when they are not truly citizens of it.
The kingdom is described as wheat and chaff, wheat and weeds, bad fish and good fish, wise virgins and foolish virgins
Today Jesus says. 22 “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?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”
And notice the word “many.” Jesus says there are many in the visible kingdom of God in the visible church who think they have a relationship with Jesus when really they do not.
But notice the double word, “LORD, LORD” as in these are not people who maybe have a cursory understanding of who Jesus is. These are likely not Chr-Easter Christians, but every Sunday in the church and active in church ministry.
Notice they prophesy, they cast out demons, they do many mighty works and yet Jesus says “Depart from me, I never knew you.”
We cannot read without asking the obvious application question:
And of course the obvious question — in a room full of professing Christians like we are today — the obvious question is: Is Jesus talking about us? Is Jesus talking about me?
Am I one of those professing Christians who will hear on that day: “Depart From Me, I Never Knew You”?
That question wakes up a lot of people in the middle of night. It should wake us up.
And my goal during our time together this morning is to help you answer that question before it’s too late…
Or more positively, to provide you with assurance that you are walking the narrow way that leads to life.
As I personally can testify, I said I was a Christian for the first 16 years of my life, but then I examined myself and realized I wasn’t — that I needed to repent and get right with God.
As Jesus says, 16 “You will recognize them by their fruits… 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them [true and false teachers and believers] by their fruits.”
So, question: What fruits are we looking for?
Based on how I read this passage, I think there are seven sign posts/markers/fruits to look for when it comes to evaluating the genuineness of our profession.
To be clear, this list is not exhaustive and there’s no special order to these.
You wanna know if you’re a Christian and you are safely on the narrow path? Are these things evident in your life?
1. Entered The Right Gate?
2. Humbled The Old Self?
3. Walked The Difficult Way?
4. Loved The Sheepy Church?
5. Produced The Good Fruit?
6. Submitted To The Biblical Word?
7. Survived The Various Storms?
Now, I’ll try to emphasize this over and over again: We are not looking for perfection here, but direction.
Are you seeing these things, even the kernel of these things, in your life?
If so, then you are safely on the narrow path…
Let’s start with the most obvious: Have You Entered The Right Gate?
13 “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. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
Now, for better or worse, I think we sometimes over-spiritualize this passage.
And we find ourselves asking: What is the narrow gate? What is the narrow way?
Jesus answered those questions:
John 10: 7 “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door [the gate] of the sheep… 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.”
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
So, as we think about fruit and self-evaluation … Have you entered by the gate and way of Christ and Christ alone?
Have you forsaken all other avenues to achieve salvation and run to Christ alone?
Have you rejected all other religions and found they do not all lead up the same mountain but there is only one mediator between God and man – the man Christ Jesus?
Have you discovered this? Have you embraced in your heart?
Is the cry of your heart: “Nothing in my hands I plea, simply to the cross I cling?”
And again, this might seem so obvious to us … but we need to remember the pull of trusting something other than Jesus.
Namely trusting in ourselves or our good works.
For example, jump ahead to verse 21:
21 “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.
One of the first issues people often run into when it comes to this passage is they read this and think: “Oh, I need something more than Jesus to save me.”
I need faith + works!
And on the surface, it might seem like that’s what Jesus is saying, but let me remind you that this verse and Romans 10 are not at odds with each other.
9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” … 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
That’s true!
Romans 10 and Matthew 7 are not preaching different gospels.
The issue, as Jesus has pointed out throughout the Sermon On The Mount is the disconnect that happens between our words/actions and the heart underneath them.
So, in Romans 10 terms they might have confessed with their mouth, but not truly believed in their heart.
They might have said Jesus is LORD, but it wasn’t the true confession of their hearts.
If it was they would be saved.
But that begs the question: How can you tell if you believed in your heart?
Well, let’s stay in verses 21-23 for a second and consider our 2nd question: Have you humbled your old self?
And here’s what I mean:
22 “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?’”
Here’s what I think is interesting and I’ll explain it this way.
When I was in fifth grade, I tried out for the hockey team and I had a horrible try out — very obvious I was not one of the good players
And I knew I was gonna make the C team cause they didn’t cut people yet.
So on the last day of tryouts I stayed after and helped the coaches pick up pucks.
And I said to myself, “Well, that’ll get em. I just showed those coaches what a great teammate, locker room guy, character guy I am they’ll have to put me on the B-team now.”
And a few hours later, I was on the C-team.
And I remember crying about it to my dad and I remember saying, “But I helped pick up pucks.”
Point being: When we are told “no”… whether by a hockey coach or Jesus Christ … we often fall back on what we truly believe is ultimately going to save us.
If Jesus told you you weren’t allowed into the new heavens and new earth, what would you say?
I find it interesting that when Jesus told these people “No” they immediately tried to fall back on their so-called good works and so they proved what they were really trusting in.
In short, these hypocrites/false Christians, they had a transactionary relationship with Jesus — If I do this, he’ll have to give me this.
You’re not saved by good works, you’re saved by Jesus.
It’s interesting, the disciples asked Jesus once, Luke 17:5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
And to increase their faith Jesus tells them arguably the most depressing parable in Scripture — at least depressing to our flesh.
He says: Luke 17:7 “Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? 8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”
How does that increase faith? Well because it destroys this idea that we have any salvific works to offer Jesus.
Y’all, think about: Even if we were completely perfect to the law of God — loving God with all our heart soul mind and strength and our neighbors as ourselves — even when we’re perfect to what he has commanded:
“‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”
So ask yourself the question: How does that sit with you?
Do you recognize yourself as an unworthy servant, only doing what you’re told?
Or has your so-called walk with Jesus been more like the older brother, “I’ve been slaving away and God owes me… You don’t even so much as give me a goat.”
If that’s you, you might not be a Christian because you’re really just trusting yourself.
3. Third Test, going back to the beginning: Are You Walking The Difficult Way?
14 “For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
The Way is Jesus, but the way of Jesus is hard, difficult, challenging.
As Paul said: Acts 14: 22 Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
And so the question is: Since you’ve started following Jesus has your life gotten easier or has it gotten more difficult?
Now, that’s not to say there’s no joy or happiness or still waters or green pastures to be had but following Jesus is inherently difficult.
Think about Philippians 3: Everything in your life becomes loss for the sake of knowing Christ.
In Hebrews we lay aside, “every weight and sin that clings so closely,”
Indeed, as Jesus puts it: Matthew 10: 34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
Don’t tell me that’s not difficult.
For example: We see in the passage that you are on the pathway of the few, not the many.
The tendency for most humans, for better or worse, is to be conformist and follow the crowd.
Jesus says don’t do that, but go against your nature and be prepared to be lonely.
As John says: 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world — the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life — is not from the Father but is from the world.
Moreover, there’s also a stunning confirmation of our pre-supposed suffering in Hebrews 12:
6 “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” 7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
A marker post of the genuineness of our faith is that you’ve experienced in various ways, the disciplining hand of your heavenly father.
Contrary to the idea that earthly loss is proof of God’s hatred of somebody, suffering actually might be assuring proof of his LOVE for us.
10 He disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.
Which brings me to my fourth signpost/fourth fruit: Produced The Good Fruit?
This is often the most obvious one when we ask whether we or someone else is a Christian, but it bears repeating: What is the fruit of this person’s life?
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits… 20 you will recognize them by their fruits.
And what are those fruits?
Again, notice what they are not: Ministry activity is not necessarily a sign of good fruit: 22 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?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Friends, ministry activity of any kind is no proof I am saved – no matter how spectacular.
It is no proof of my salvation that I’m a pastor.
It is no proof of salvation you lead a life group or because you sing songs.
The question is about fruitfulness.
So what are the fruits?
Go back to the beginning of the sermon on the mount:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit…
4 “Blessed are those who mourn…
5 “Blessed are the meek…
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…
7 “Blessed are the merciful…
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart…
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers…
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake…
Or, if you prefer, you can look up the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5.
Again, this is not PERFECTION … it’s DIRECTION … am I moving TOWARD these things?
If you wanna know you’re real, ask yourself: What sort of fruit do I produce?
Am I meek? Gentle like a sheep? Or am I more like a wolf?
5. Speaking of that, fifth question: Do I Love The Sheep?
One of the apostle John’s most repeated tests of a true Christian in his first epistle is do you love the church?
3:14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers [fellow believers].
Going back to Matthew: A wolf does not dress up like a sheep because it thinks playing dress up is fun.
A wolf dresses like a sheep in order to deceive and then attack and eat the sheep.
So, just ask the question: What am I here for this morning when it comes to community?
Am I here to use and abuse and accuse my fellow sheep? Or am I here to love them?
Do I love my fellow believers? Do I desire that they be cared for, protected, and fed with the Word of Christ?
Do I feel most at home around other Christians? Or do I enjoy non-Christians more?
Now, that’s not to say you’ll like everybody in the church, but to quote Psalm 84: 10 I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
Do you love the church, warts and all? If so, you have proof you are saved.
Sixth test: Have You Submitted To The Biblical Word?
Jesus concludes the sermon with a parable of two builders and the difference between the two, Jesus says is foundation: 24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock… 26 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.”
Do you treasure and build on and trust and do the words Jesus says?
Part of that is a question of fruit, but there’s also a sense of: What do Jesus’ words mean to you?
Are they the foundation of your life? All of them?
How do I work? What does the Bible say?
How do I parent? What does the Bible say?
How do we do church? What does the Bible say?
Jonathan Edwards, amidst the crazy things that were happening in the first great awakening — basically picture the craziest pentecostal service you can think of and that was basically the first great awakening.
And some people were saying, “Oh these people are crazy or demon-possessed or they’re emotional fanatics”
And Edwards wrote a book about (quoting the Apostle John) testing the spirits called Distinguishing Marks Of A Work Of The Spirit of God and wrote: “The spirit that operates in such a manner, as to cause in men a greater regard for the Holy Scriptures, and establishes them more in their truth and divinity, is certainly the Spirit of God… The devil would never attempt to beget in persons a regard for that divine word which God has given to be the great and standing rule for the direction of His church in all religious matters, and all concerns of their souls…”
So question: Do you ground your life on this book?
Or is it more ground on philosophy or politics or subjective morality or what the world says is popular? …and then Jesus’ words are kinda the sprinkle on top for you?
For the genuine Christian … this book and its truths are home … they are bedrock.
Those who are led by the Spirit of God build their life on the WORD of God as our EFCA statement of faith says: “[The Bible is] the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.”
If you believe that, if that’s your direction then it is a sign that you have truly believed.
Last signpost that proves the validity of our faith is perseverance: 24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And 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. 26 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. 27 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.”
Point being: True Christians do not ultimately walk away from the faith.
There might be periods of backsliding or moments of great sin… but a true Christian always ends up coming back.
But a false convert (think about the Parable of the Sower) will walk away eventually
As John says: 1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.
Now, I get this is a sort of trickier signpost of genuine faith since you can’t really be sure of own perseverance till your deathbed
But we do have the promise of Philippians 1:6 He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
And if you’re looking at this list going, I think that’s (at the very least) mostly true of me, those kernels are there … then “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
And you can rejoice you are safely on the narrow path!
Now, a few closing pastoral comments:
I’m thinking of two types of people right now:
To those here this morning struggling with assurance and introspection and constantly asking the question am I saved?
You are not alone.
Assurance of salvation is something I’ve struggled with since becoming a Christian (13/14/15 years ago).
In fact, the first song we’ll sing once I’m done up here is called “There is a Fountain Filled With Blood” written by a fellow named William Cowper.
And yet despite penning the words “Redeeming love has been my theme and shall be till I die,” William Cowper struggled with assurance of salvation and spiritual depression for most of his adult life.
As someone put it: He probably went to heaven “in a mist”
And I don’t mean to completely undermine all that I just said in this sermon, but lists like these oftentimes fall short of providing for us the soul-satisfying answer we’re looking for.
That’s not me, that’s John Piper who said: “The answer [to assurance] is almost never found with the kind of soul-satisfying certainty that you want by looking within and peeling the onion of your heart… ‘So you think you’re humble [poor in spirit] — what if you’re boasting in your humility?’ … ‘What if your confession that you’re boasting in your humility is a pose and you’re still boasting in your humility [underneath the surface]?’ … you peel and peel and peel and the last peel just disappears. Cause you can always ask yourself, ‘How do you know?’ You can always doubt yourself. There’s no way by mere self-analysis to come to a point where you’re looking at something and you say, ‘Definitely authentic!’” How Can I know if my repentance is genuine?
Now, you say, “Well then how the heck do I know if I’m saved?”
Pastor Greg Gilbert, in Kentucky, explains it this way in Assured: “In the design of a car, there is a profound difference between a driver of speed and a confirmer of speed, between the accelerator and the speedometer. If we want the car to go faster, we push on the accelerator; we put weight on it, and the car goes. Now, of course, when we do that, one of the results is that the speedometer on the dashboard indicates, or shows, or confirms that the car is going. But the speedometer is a sign of speed, not the source of speed…
“If we want to get more and stronger assurance, the way to do that is not to fiddle with the indicator — That is, to make sure we do a few more good works and fewer bad ones so that we’ll feel more worthy of Heaven … the way to respond to a lack of assurance is to focus on and put weight on the driving sources of assurance – the promises of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As we do so, the result will be a greater confidence of our salvation and an increase in the kind of Godly life and works that indicate true salvation.”
As in, the best moments of assurance for you will be when you’re not thinking about yourself and your own heart and your own motives and instead when you are thinking about Christ and all He is for you in the gospel.
As Robert Murray M’Cheyne put it: “Learn much of your own heart; and when you have learned all you can, remember you have seen but a few yards into a pit that is unfathomable. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jer. 17:9. Learn much of the Lord Jesus. For every look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ. He is altogether lovely. Such infinite majesty, and yet such meekness and grace, and all for sinners, even the chief!”
If you want assurance, friend, don’t mainly look inward, not mainly at lists, but ground yourself in the gospel and the Christ of the gospel.
Now, that said, I don’t want to cry “Peace, Peace” where there is no peace.
Because if you’re here this morning, without assurance, but you look at this list going:
– “Jesus is one of many ways to God”
– “I still think my good works will save me”
– “My life is pretty easy being a Jesus follower”
– “I don’t evidence any new fruit of a changed life”
– “I don’t really care to spend time with other believers”
– “I don’t really care about the Bible”
I don’t want you to think for one second that you’re saved
Doesn’t matter if you’re an active member at this church or your church back home, it doesn’t matter if you’ve casted out a demon…
If you don’t see these things in ANY capacity in your life, then it’s evidence you don’t truly know Jesus and Jesus does not know you.
But that doesn’t mean all hope is lost.
In fact, if you’re convicted you’re not a Christian and that you are a sinner and that you need a savior that means Jesus is genuinely starting to work in your heart.
And door of mercy is as wide open today as it’s ever been.
1 “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? … 3 Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant… 6 Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; 7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” Isa 55:1-7