Expansion Of The Narrow Way

Introduction

Well, I can’t fault those selections that Jared made at all for tonight’s lesson. We do have a good number of our folks who are away at this time, but we have a good number of visitors present with us tonight. Some people I wasn’t expecting to see even. But I did need to mention Zach and Mary Catherine about to be husband and wife, and we wish them all the best as that rapidly approaches. Good to see them tonight. Might not see them for a little while. And we welcome all of you. Glad you’re here. And yeah, if we’re going to have singing next week, that might, we might have a bigger crowd present on Sunday night as we do that. When a road isn’t big enough to accommodate the traffic.

And that happens around here, especially as our population grows by thousands every day, or at least it was, and the commuting situation becomes all the more unbearable and intolerable. What do we do? Well, look out on 249. And two roads, actually. The building finishing of 249 and Grand Parkway. If six lanes aren’t enough, you expand and you make ten or more. That’s what happens in the city of Houston. Well, that’s the opening illustration, and really some of the thoughts that I have to deliver tonight. There’s been a lot of focus around this particular season of the year on the birth of Christ. And however much people want to think about the Bible and the impact of Jesus upon our world and the importance of his entrance into the world is a good thing.

I want people to think about this real historical person and what he should mean in the lives of people, even still. But what really saddens me is while some will gladly spend a service commemorating the birth of Christ, so often they know very little else about his life and about his ministry and about his teaching. They don’t even know verses like we’re going to examine right now that are very familiar verses in the Sermon on the Mount. The baby in the manger, that’s a pleasant thought. But what about these thoughts that issue from his mouth as an adult? When he says, enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter.

Tragic thought, isn’t it? There is a broad way that leads to destruction, and many are going in thereat. And then the verse that follows.

And neither should we be. The Lord is not excited or happy about the fact that there is a broad way that leads to destruction, and many are going in thereat. These passages suggest that a majority of individuals are not traveling the right path, are not on the right way, that they are going to be lost. Jesus also indicates that mere wishing will not get it done. Mere wishing will not put one on the narrow way. The question was asked in Luke 13 by a man who asked, Lord, are there just a few who are being saved? Luke 13 and verse 23. What a great question. I wish we could get more people to ask that question so that we could give this answer. But this is frightful answer indeed.

Lord, are there just a few who are being saved? And he said to them, strive to enter by the narrow door. For many, I tell you will seek to enter, and they will not be able.

Those attitudes are essential baggage for this journey, for this successful journey. We’ll not get to life without it. So as we look at these concepts presented in Matthew 7, verses 13 and 14. A broad gate that leads to a broad way where many go to destruction. And a narrow way that leads to life, and few are those who find it. I want to talk to you tonight about attempts that are made in the present time to expand the narrow way. People aren’t content with the narrow way and the dimensions that Jesus has set for it, or that his people teach regarding it. There have always been attempts and will be more attempts to expand the narrow way to include more ideas, more teachings, more people. And we see that even now in some of the things that are in the news.

1. Call It What You Want, It's Still the Broad Way

Duck dynasty. And one of its main actors, Phil Robertson, for his stance on homosexuality that’s created such an uproar as he’s had to come out this week and say, I don’t hate people. I’m a lover of humanity. He’s not a hater. In fact, he says, I have my own sins. He’s just saying that this practice, this lifestyle is not consistent with what the Bible teaches. But again, the modern mind is somehow we’re going to try to even get homosexuality as an acceptable conduct on the narrow way. And just lusts unchecked, fornication, adultery, the love of money, hatred of others, self is king, non discipleship, alcohol consumption, divorce, and remarriage of any kind, false doctrines, rebellion of all kinds. People want to see all of these things in the narrow way as well.

These are just a few examples of what I would call attempts at narrow way expansion. And so people have all these ideas and thoughts and concepts, and as they look at all of these ideas and the attempt to expand the narrow way, they want to improve upon or enhance the narrow way that the Bible talks about. And so people have these wonderful sentiments about these ideas. They feel really good about the things that they espouse and believe. They’re completely satisfied with these things. They decorate and admire and enjoy them. They’re excited to tell others about them. They even may have thousands of people who agree with them, but you can call it whatever you wish. You can declare it good and wonderful. But it is still the broad way that leads to destruction.

Any attempts to expand the narrow way to make it more palatable to others or to include more people on it. No matter how good we may feel about it, no matter how many people join us in the parade, it is still nonetheless traversing the broad way that leads to destruction. And that’s the first point that I would like to make about these attempts to expand the narrow way, to include things on it that the New Testament would forbid and not approve. That you can call it what you want, but it’s still the broad way.

I quoted him last week.

Look, when you’re going to write something, make sure the introduction is really good. And his very first statement when Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die. What a great opening comment to a book. But he had other things to say in that book about discipleship, and I want to share a few of them with you. The first is somewhat awkwardly worded. We wouldn’t word a sentence this way, but remember it’s written a long time ago. But to deviate from the truth, for the same, of some prospect of hope of our own can never be wise. And so basically, let me cut that down for you. To deviate from the truth can never be wise. However slight the deviation may be.

Wonderful concepts that are brought to bear in the message of salvation in Jesus. But that doesn’t mean a freedom from restraint. That’s what people think. No restraints whatsoever. I can do whatever I please. No restrictions. God is so limiting. Wait a minute. The fruit of the Spirit is, among other things, self-control. But when people think of liberty, they’re thinking about do whatever you want, do whatever feels good, whatever you desire. Again, these things that we’re talking about over here. But that was not the idea of the psalmist who said, I will walk at liberty for I seek thy commandments. Bonhoeffer went on to say, Christianity without discipleship, where he leads, I’ll follow. Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ. Wait a minute. Calling it the narrow way, calling it Christianity, but it’s not really the narrow way.

It’s not really Christianity. Discipleship without Jesus Christ is a way of our own choosing, he says. It may be the ideal way. I like that. And in parentheses, I put or appear to be so. It may be the ideal way. It may even lead to martyrdom, he says, but it is devoid of all promise. And Jesus will certainly reject. Paul tells Timothy as much when he talked about difficult and perilous times that would come, and he says, they hold to a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof. Now, why would someone do that? Only if you somehow have concluded in your mind that this is actually the narrow way. That you’re actually still on the right path that is approved by the Lord. But there’s no power in it, Paul says.

They hold to a form of godliness, but there is no wholehearted submission and humility, which is necessary to truly be on this path. Has it not always been, and will it not always be a temptation to include folks in the narrow way that are actually on the broad way.

Because I don’t like the prospect of anybody following the broad way, because the end of that way is destruction. And I don’t wish that on anybody. We shouldn’t wish that on our worst enemy. We shouldn’t wish that on the person who hates our very being and wishes evil upon us. Oh, they shouldn’t do that. I wish they wouldn’t do that. Sometimes they do. And even if somebody did, I don’t want destruction for them because I understand the concept of that. I think I want to preach in the next, I don’t know, I’ve got a lot of things to preach in the next several weeks, but I want to preach on the wrath of God. Because there’s so much said about that in the New Testament. We need to have an appreciation of that part of God’s character.

When his love is firm, he pours out his wrath, and that wrath is promised. That wrath is coming. Well, I’m sort of preaching that sermon right now. But I don’t want that for anybody. I don’t like to consider the possibility and the probability, as Jesus says here, that most people are going to be lost. We would all wish the statistics were not what they are. Many verses few. And the real grave danger here is to think. It’s one thing to know that you’re on the broad way, headed to destruction, and know that there is a narrow way that leads to life. It’s sort of like the statement of Revelation chapter 3 of the Laodiceans when he said, I would that you were cold or hot. Cold would have been better than their present condition of lukewarm.

You want to talk about an example of people who think they’re on the narrow way but are actually on the broad way, the Laodiceans are it. They become lukewarm. Lukewarm doesn’t work on the narrow way. He goes, I would that you were cold or hot. Better to be on the broad way and know where you’re at, that ultimately you might come to your senses and say, look, I need to get on the other path. They need to wake up and repent. I stand at the door and knock, Jesus says in Revelation 3 and verse 20. But the great danger here is thinking that I’m on the narrow way.

And don’t think for a second that we’re not capable of being on the broad way, even though we associate with people who are on the narrow way. You think this we all go in as a church? Okay, time for the next person on the day of judgment, next prayer church. You’re up. We all get to go together. I think I might want to try that with this group. That’s not how it’s going to be. We can’t just assume that everybody on the membership of the Decorary Church that we’re all walking the narrow way. There are going to be people on the day of judgment who find out that they have not walked the narrow way.

2. What Sort of Reaction Should the Righteous Have

Like the Laodiceans would find out if they didn’t repent. As Jesus informed them. The great danger is believing that you’re walking the narrow way when in fact you’re traversing this one. Well, what’s our reaction? That’s the second thing that I want to talk about here in this very foundational text in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 7, 13 and 14 about the broad gate that leads to destruction and the narrow way that leads to life. The second thing that I want to talk about, these attempts to expand the narrow way. What sort of reaction should the righteous have at these attempts? To include things on the narrow way that the New Testament calls immoral, to include selfishness and lusts and immoralities of all kind and false doctrines.

All of what is false in religion today, those things on the broad way that people want to declare is good. And on the narrow way, how should you feel about that? The first thing I would say about that is that you need to be indignant about it. Righteous indignation. Because whatever is not of truth is a lie. And God is a God of truth, and it’s impossible for him to lie. So we need to be indignant about it. We did not learn the truth in falsehood. Paul basically makes that point in Ephesians chapter 4. It is truth that is in Jesus. And you learned about him through truth. Our reaction. What should our reaction be when the attitudes of Isaiah 30 are present? We don’t want to hear about truth.

Don’t prophesy unto us of the holy one of Israel. We don’t want to hear about it. Our reaction needs to be that we are indignant and we need to acknowledge the peril. And that’s what we’re doing tonight. Souls are endangered by these attempts to expand the narrow way. And if you’ll look at just one text in this regard in Romans 16, and Romans 16, verses 17 and 18, Paul says this is the concluding thoughts of what we began this morning in chapter 12 and 13. The concluding thoughts of this section are this. Now I urge you, brethren, Romans 16, 17, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances to what? Walking the narrow way. Hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learn.

And turn away from them, he says. For such men are slaves, not slaves of Jesus Christ, but of their own appetites. And that’s really what people are wanting to include in the narrow way when they try to expand it. Their own appetites. And by their smooth and flattering speech, they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. And what did Jesus say earlier in Matthew, or actually later in Matthew 15, when he said the Pharisees were teaching as doctrine the commandments of men, and he would go on to talk about these religious people of the day and say, let them alone. They are blind guides. And if the blind follow the blind, they both fall into the ditch. And then he says, every plant not planted by my heavenly father shall be rooted up.

That’s Broadway stuff. Matthew 15 and verse 13. Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father shall be rooted up. I’m not opposed to faith only because it is my theological predisposition to reject that view. I didn’t grow up believing faith only. I grew up among the Lord’s people, a group of people who called themselves the Silver Street Church of Christ. They believed to be, they believed themselves to be in Christ, and they taught that faith only was error. And that one needed to be baptized for the remission of his or her sins to be saved. And that’s that’s the message that I teach.

I tell you, I’ve studied faith only many times in the last 30 years. And some of you have.

If we could sign on to that, we could save a lot of people, couldn’t we? If faith only was true and we could teach, all you’ve got to do is believe that Jesus Christ was the Savior and that he died for your sin. Accept him into your heart as your personal Savior. If we could all just teach that, we would save so many more people. Be sure a whole lot easier. I’m not opposed to it because of some predisposition that I have or some tradition that keeps me. I’m against it because that’s not what the Bible teaches. And for me to teach it is a plant that I’m planting that my heavenly Father is going to root up. It’s the broad way that leads to destruction.

It will lead me to be lost in my sins and to not have my sins cleansed by the blood of Christ. So we need to acknowledge the peril. These attempts to expand the narrow way to include all sorts of immorality. But having said that, I do not mean at all that we need to be obnoxious or mean spirited about it. Actually, again, it breaks my heart that anyone be found walking the broad way. Paul makes this clear in 2 Timothy chapter 2. Even a brother that might be caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual are to attempt to restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted, Galatians 6 and verse 1. 2 Timothy chapter 2. But this would go further to one who is not even in Christ, as he says, and the Lord’s bondservant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all.

Able to teach, patient when wronged. With gentleness, correcting those who are in opposition. If perhaps God may grant them repentance. What’s going to happen then? They’re going to find themselves on the narrow way, leading to the knowledge of the truth. That they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will. This is not an occasion. If we’re traveling the narrow way, and I hope that we are, this is not a reason to be self-righteous or self-exalting. We don’t look at the publican as the Pharisee does in Luke 18. I’m glad I’m not like him. And look how good I am. Look what I do for the Lord. Let me tell you something about what we are in the Lord.

Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven and whose sins are covered. That’s all that I am. The person that walks the narrow way. I am the fortunate one who is found, who has been granted the repentance that leads to life. That’s all we are. It’s not a reason to get on our high school and say, I’m better than them. I’ll tell you how fortunate I am. I grew up with the truth laid in my lap. I knew from the time I was four years old, before there was even sin on my account, that baptism was necessary for salvation. Everybody’s not that privileged, I’ll tell you. A lot of people are looking through the maze of religious deception, trying to find the truth, and some of you have done that.

And I think in that case, there’s often a lot more appreciation for what has been found. The pearl of great price that’s been discovered. But then there are folks like me, it’s been laid in our lives. That’s not a reason. Well, I’ve always been associated with the truth. Makes me something special. No. I’ve been forgiven. I’ve been granted the repentance that leads to life. I have escaped, and you have escaped the snare of the devil. It’s not a reason to think ourselves better than others. If any of us are saved, as I’ve said many times, it will be by the mercy of God that it is so. Now I’ll tell you what else. Well, let me add one more point before I move on here. There’s another statement just prior to 713 that you need to pay attention to.

The attitude that we ought to have when we’re people who are walking the broad way, though we are on the narrow way, the previous verse, the golden rule. However, you would have people treat you, so treat them. What if you, and this is what we need to think. This person is in danger of the judgment. They’re walking the broad way. How should we deal with them? If I were them, how would I want to be treated? Would I want people to be as kind as they possibly can be? It doesn’t mean kindness doesn’t mean not be direct. You need to be direct. People need to understand the path they’re on. And sometimes, as Rick said when he was here, you have to snatch people out of the fire.

Sometimes a case becomes more severe, and there’s judgment involved in how that person ought to be dealt with. But it ought to be made abundantly clear that we love this person. And we ought to think about if I were them, I’ll tell you what, if I’m them, I want whatever that is done to be necessary to get me out of that condition. Whatever it takes to get me out of that condition. If I’m a Pharisee, I need the harsh judgments that Jesus gave to them to try to wake them up. Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. That’s what they needed. They need to be jolted from their complacency. But as you would have others treat you, so treat them. And then this, the righteous reaction is we will urge souls to travel the narrow way with its unchanging dimensions.

The appetites of men aren’t going to find themselves on the narrow way. In fact, in Philippians 3, he says, you’ll find yourselves enemies of the cross. Whose God is their appetites, whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. You see, this narrow way has not changed its shape since Jesus and the apostles’ initial teaching in the New Testament. In fact, 2 Peter chapter 3 gives us the time frame. A day with the Lord is a thousand years, and a thousand years is one day, and this escapes people’s notice. But he’s not wishing that any should perish, but what? All should come to repentance. You know, that hasn’t changed. What it’s going to require for a person to jettison the broad way and to walk the narrow way, to jettison the broad way with the devil saying, Oh, you’ll have fun over here.

You got a lot of friends over here. The majority is walking this broadway with you. Look at all the company you’ve got. But actually, what he’s telling you a lot of times is this is really the narrow way. You’re on it. It’s okay. Don’t sweat. There are other people that think like you do. We need to urge souls to traverse the narrow way with its unchanging dimensions. It’s always been the same as when it was first preached to the first Gentile. God is not a respecter of persons, but in every nation, he who fears God and does what is right is accepted of him. I’ve loved Acts 10, 35 for a long time. As time goes on, I find myself gravitating toward it more and more.

3. The Dangers of Drifting

In every nation, he who fears God and does what is right is welcome too. That’s the narrow way. And I’ve already hinted at point number three as I conclude tonight. But I want to make a special warning to us about the dangers of drifting. Narrow way travelers can unwittingly slip into the broad way. Surely I will be able to detect slippage toward the broad way. Seems like the problem of detecting it is exactly what the Hebrew writer is warning about in the book of Hebrews. As he says over and over again, watch out. Be careful. Don’t come short of the rest of God. Beware of an evil heart of unbelief developing. In Hebrews chapter 3. An evil heart of unbelief and falling away from the living God.

Do not neglect so great a salvation. Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 3. You have need of endurance. We are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith in the preserving of the soul. We’ve been looking at those passages in Hebrews, and it seems that what the Hebrew writer is doing is he’s not talking about the religious world at large. He’s talking about those who have tasted of the good word of God, who have tasted of the heavenly gift, who have once been enlightened. And they crucify afresh the Son of God. They start sinning willfully. Hebrews 10 and verse 26, and there remains no more sacrifice for sin. He is warning believers of this drifting toward the broad way and not even recognizing.

I don’t want to be in that group. Certainly there are warning signs, right?

Flashing signs that appear that say, you’re leaving the narrow way. You’re leaving the narrow way. Surely we’ve got do not enter signs that pop up everywhere. You ever see that happens? They pop up everywhere. Wrong way! Flashing lights, don’t go this way. It’s not going to be any of that. Here are the warnings. Here’s the narrow way in its dimensions defined for us. C.S. Lewis in his screw tape letters said, a book that I cannot find, but I did have it once upon a time. C.S. Lewis in his screw tape letters said the safest road to hell is the gradual one. The gentle slope. Soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.

Why do believers drift? What are we susceptible to? What happens again? I got to throw Asa out there again. He’s going to be on my mind until February because I have that lecture to present. Something happened to this great man of God. Something happened. And the things I’m about to say, I think are the things that happened to Asa. Same things that happen to us. Over time.

I am resolved no longer to linger, charmed by the world’s delights that resolve weakness. Second thing that happens. Gratitude decreases. A sense of indebtedness. Feeling like we’re debtors. That’s lost. Faith diminishes. Trust in God. Daily trust in him and his word to guide our lives. And love grows cold. That was one of the precipitating signs of the destruction of Jerusalem in Matthew 24, verse 12, because lawlessness increases, love grows cold. Beware of drifting. People who were once on the narrow way will find out too late that they were on the broad way. With the homosexuals? With the adulterers? With the false teachers? With the false religious? Yes. Walking the narrow way does not begin and will not continue by accident. That’s the point of Isaiah 35, verses 8 through 10.

No one will find themselves on the narrow way by accident. There’s not going to be anybody stand before the throne of God in the day of judgment. And hear him say, Well done, good and faithful servant. You’re going. Imagine this. I never would have thought it. Oh no. It’ll not be an accident. You’ll know exactly why he said it. A highway will be there, a roadway, and it will be called the highway of holiness. That’s the narrow way. This is prophetic of the narrow way. And the unclean will not travel on it. It will be for him who walks that way. Somebody who’s determined to walk that course. Intentional, purposefully. Fools will not err therein. Fools will not wander on it. Nobody’s going to find themselves by mistake on the road, the highway of holiness.

No lion will be there, nor will any vicious beast go up on it. These will not be found there. Oh, he’s not saying there won’t be any perils. But what he’s saying is we have sufficient protection. We have sufficient help. We are more than conquerors through him who loved us. But the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the Lord will return and come with joyful shouting to Zion, with everlasting joy upon their heads, they will find gladness and joy. Sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Conclusion

Now we go back to the earlier sections of the Sermon on the Mount to find the truthfulness of what I’ve been saying about the narrow way. What did he say? Back in the very beginning in Matthew chapter 5, he said, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. He’s already set the stage for the broad gate and the broad way and the narrow gate and the narrow way, much earlier in the sermon when he said, unless your righteousness exceeds that. And he has said, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. He’s already said it depends on our values. And then he will conclude. Oh, remember that story our kids sing about it. The wise man built his house upon the rock, the foolish man built his house upon the sand.

We know what happened to that house, don’t we, kids? The foolish man’s house went splash. But what who is the foolish man? Who is the wise man? The wise man is the one who hears these words and sayings of mine and acts upon them. Again, Jesus in the manger is not a threat. But to Jesus on the sermon of the mount, that’s a threat. To my selfishness and wanting things my way. And listen, mere wishing will not get it done. Many will say unto me that in that day, Lord, who will not enter the kingdom of heaven? But he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. And so as this morning was our wake up, and this due knowing the time from Romans chapter 13 tonight is for our further sobriety.

To walk the narrow way, to let Jesus truly be the King of our hearts and lives. Listen to Him, depend upon Him, submit to Him and follow Him. Because at the end of the way, at the end of the narrow way, what we will find, what we have as we traverse it. And that is life. Beware of the danger of unbelief. Jesus is the only way. The way, the truth, and the life. The way to meaning and immortality. And if you’re subject to his call tonight, won’t you respond while we stand and say?