11/14/10 Children's Ministry
Matthew 7:13-14: Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Calling all Church-goers… WAKE UP
In verses 13-27, Jesus finishes His teaching on who Christians are and how Christians are to live… He closes His teachings with harsh words. Watch out, lest you fall asleep and miss the point. You must “enter through the narrow gate.” Before me, I have a bunch of church-goers and there is great danger in being a person born into the church, a person who regularly attends the church, and the danger is this… you might miss Jesus’ message because you think it’s for someone else. There is the danger in thinking that being among Christian believers will somehow make you a Christian. There is the danger in thinking that simply because you know God is real, you will have a place in heaven. However, the only guarantee of heaven… the only way one is saved is through faith in Christ. So wake up and ask yourself the question, do you have real faith that saves?
Faith that Saves
Saving faith is a special kind of faith. It’s not simply a knowledge of who Jesus is and what He’s done… many have that kind of knowledge yet are still missing real faith… even devils know who Jesus is (Matthew 8:29) yet they will not have a place in heaven. Saving faith is not simply a strong feeling that Jesus is real because strong feelings come and go… saving faith will never abandon you. Saving faith is being sure of whom Jesus is and also trusting Him completely for your life. Saving faith always leads to a changed life because when one has saving faith, they are in essence giving their life to Jesus. When your parents go out on date nights… they trust you into the care of babysitters. You are in their care. Do you really trust Jesus with your life? Can you tell if your faith is real? Is there a way to confirm it? It’s not just knowing, it’s not just something you can see, nor is it necessarily a feeling so how will you know if you have real faith or if you don’t? There’s a test today, faith in Christ leads to life in Christ. A life without Christ, without obedience to Christ or Christ-likeness, points to a life without faith.
No One is Born With Faith
There is no one who is born on the path to heaven. You must enter through the narrow gate. It’s not like we are all climbing to God, trying to make it into heaven and He lets some in and denies access to others… rather we are all running away from heaven’s gates and so we are commanded to turn from our current path and enter through the narrow gate of faith which is faith in Jesus. This leads to life. There is no other option. Place your faith in Jesus or die apart from Jesus.
Open Faith Leads to an Open Life
Though faith is something that cannot be seen, faith is something that can be clearly identified by how one lives their life. John 14:15 says “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” Is love for God clear in your life? Do you keep His commandments? Faith in Jesus alone is a narrow faith and it must lead to a narrow path. A life without faith in Jesus alone is a wide faith in other things that leads to a life lived without boundaries and loose morals. This leads to destruction, eternal destruction “away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.” (2 Thess 1:9) And even more startling is this news, there are many who enter through it, there are many on the way to eternal destruction in hell. There are more people going to hell than heaven. And even more startling is the fac that Jesus is speaking about those in the church, He’s speaking to those who are trying to follow Him. Out of the group of people who are trying to associate with Jesus, there are many more people who will be going to hell than heaven… and it’s because their missing real, saving faith… they entered the wide gate.
Faith in Christ Leads to Life in Christ
Real, saving faith is sure trust in Jesus. Though it cannot be seen directly, it is seen clearly in the lives of the faithful. A heavenly hope leads to a heavenly, changed life. Real faith in Jesus cannot be hidden. You will see it in how you live. If you don’t see it in the way you live, you probably don’t have it. The narrow gate leads to a way that is narrow that leads to life. Faith in Christ leads to life in Christ. Here’s what I mean by that statement… faith in Christ leads to a life of obedience to Christ… faith in Christ leads to a life lived for Christ… faith in Christ leads to a Christ-like life… and it also leads to eternal life with Christ… faith in Christ leads to life in Christ. It is a difficult life that the one with real faith walks, it is a path filled with suffering and sufferings. That’s what the word “narrow” here means. And blessed are you if you find yourself with the gift of faith because there are few who find it. If you have real saving faith in Jesus, you are one of the select few… a product of the supernatural work of God… born from above (John 3:3)… precious in God’s sight… set aside to be devoted to Him in worship (James 1:18).
Do you have it?
Do you have real saving faith? Are you on the path to heaven and eternal life? There is only one way and it’s through faith in Jesus, the only Son of God, the only perfect sacrifice, the only righteous one, the only one by which we can and must be saved. The only objective test of if you really believe is this… the only way you can clearly tell if you really have faith… if you really believe… is if your life demonstrates it. Faith in Christ leads to life in Christ.
1 John 2:4-6 – The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.
