Walking The Broad Way

Introduction

Appreciate Tim leading that song for me before the lesson. He said to me, knew the song, but he had never led it. I don’t know that we’ve sung that song very much here, if at all. But I’ll tell you, that was a sermon in and of itself. What beautiful things we have said in that song, and I hope to reference it again in a moment. I want to welcome all of our visitors. We have folks from Lufkin and Austin and Beaumont and Savannah, Georgia. Folks from a lot of places, and we’re glad you’re here because our numbers are way down. We had a record attendance last week, and then everybody went on spring break. And several are in Florida worshiping with the South Bumby congregation in Orlando, where Mark Roberts is beginning a gospel meeting.

And so I put on Mark’s Facebook page that they’re not going to be hearing as good of preaching as they’re accustomed to. But far more animated as some of you who know Mark Roberts and know what he does in the pulpit. It’s good to see all of you today. Want to share some thoughts with you this morning. If it were merely a popularity contest, the Broadway would win hands down. And the text to which I refer is Matthew chapter 7, verses 13 through 14, as Jesus is beginning to draw some of his final conclusions in that great sermon on the Mount. And he will finish with the parable that Jared taught on Wednesday night. I was actually going to reference that in another sermon, but that’ll be next week.

But a few verses earlier in Matthew 7, he says these dramatic words. 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 by it. For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life. And few are those to find it. If the narrow way leads to life, why are there so few people traveling it? Well, that doesn’t seem to make sense. But from the very beginning of Jesus’ invitation, it has been obvious, if you go back to the beginning of the sermon in chapter 5, it should be obvious that certain things must be left behind outside the gate or behind us. He has made it abundantly clear in his teaching that certain things must be jettisoned to walk the narrow way.

Such things as self-confidence and self-service and self-reliance and self-righteousness to name a few. What’s amazing and compelling about this illustration in Matthew 7 is that no middle road exists. There’s no third option in Jesus’ teaching here. And so what is striking about these verses is the absolute nature of the choice that is set before you.

And I like what one author said, and he will not allow us the comfortable solutions that we might propose. So easy to understand, so challenging to live.

1. The Broad Way Doesn't Require Any Effort

And walking the broad way. If you are determined to go the course that grips thousands and millions of people, even billions in our time, I want you to understand some things about going this direction and walking this route. And in regard to the great and absolute nature of the two choices before us, what is going to be involved if you choose this route? And some things about this might be somewhat appealing to folks. The first thing that comes to mind is that if you choose to walk the broad way, that it doesn’t require any effort really at all. I mean, when you consider the outcome of the two paths, the narrow way that leads to life and the broad way that leads to destruction, as I suggested, the choice really ought to be a no-brainer.

Let’s see. Destruction, life. Destruction, life. I mean, it really ought to be a no-brainer. But a very major hurdle here is that to walk the narrow way requires effort. Bingo. Now we begin to understand why it is a broad way that leads to destruction and a narrow way that leads to life. Jesus made this abundantly clear in Luke 13 when the fellow came to him and asked that wonderful question. If only we could get more people to ask it. But he comes to the Lord and says, Lord, are there just a few people who are being saved? Perhaps he had heard some things in Jesus teach him teaching that made him think that there’s not going to be a vast majority of people that are saved.

Are there just a few who are being saved? Jesus could have said, Oh, no. No, lots of people. Lots of people are going to be saved. And that’s the way a lot of folks would like it. I don’t like the idea of folks being lost, and neither do you. But what did Jesus answer? Interesting response in verse 24 of Luke 13, strive to enter by the narrow door. Oh, that harkens back to this illustration that he used in the Sermon on the Mount about the narrow gate and the narrow way that leads to life. He says, strive to enter by the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. He makes it clear. He made it clear in the Sermon in the Mount on Matthew chapter 5 through chapter 7.

And he makes it clear in Luke 13. To walk the narrow way requires effort. Walking the broad way, you can give as little attention to that as you want to. It is easy to fall into the trap that the narrow gate and the narrow way is simply too demanding. It requires too much of me and my effort and my time. But you know you really should stop to think. Why do you have time to begin with? Who gave it to you to use?

It’s somewhat demanding, especially when you lose an hour of sleep the night before. You’re like me, you’re a little bit tired today. That alarm went off. I said, Are you kidding me? And then some of us, hopefully a lot of us, the members here, are all going to be back tonight again at 5 o’clock and worship again. And then there’s the Wednesday evening Bible service and other activities beyond that in our involvement with each other. And a lot of that is demanding and exacting. And somebody said, I just don’t know if I can give the. We’re just way too busy. But should we not spend our time and the things that have eternal significance rather than just temporal significance? More about that in a moment. While the narrow way does involve discipline, only the narrow way provides liberty.

Now, false teaching, things that are associated with the Broadway, they promise a lot, but they don’t deliver. They promise freedom, while what they really offer, Peter says, is enslavement and corruption. In 2 Peter chapter 2, verses 19 through 20. Walking the broad way, let me just tell you can be what some people so desperately want to be in our demanding times. You can be a slug. No sins to forsake, no attitudes to corral, no thoughts to take captive, no bad behavior to excise from your life, no assemblies to attend, no service to render, no watchfulness needed, no sacrifice. See, that’s some of the things involved in the narrow way that folks find distasteful or too challenging or too demanding. And so we don’t have to worry about that.

2. You Can Live Your Own Rules

You can be a slug. And walk the broad way. And secondly, going along with those thoughts, you can live your own rules. Our society grows increasingly intolerant of somebody else imposing their rules upon us. I want to be the rule maker and to decide the rules for me. There was a line of children’s clothing that was introduced several years ago called no rules. I guess some guy just thought that was cute. And that gave a kid a swagger. You know, if you could wear clothes that said no rules, you had a little bit of swagger that went with that. Little independence, a little attitude. Is that something you really want your kids advertising? No rules. How does that work? Hey, we have some people in our group that are involved in the education system.

Ben, how does that work? No rules. Ben goes, I’m getting a new job. Not gonna do this. No rules? Are you kidding me? We have a hard enough time with the rules that we already. What if there were no rules at all in education? Just let the kids do whatever they want. Tell you, Brett wouldn’t be showing up till 9 o’clock. We didn’t have any rules. What if employers had no rules for employees? Oh, the dress code would certainly take a hit, wouldn’t it? Can you imagine what people would wear to work or wouldn’t wear? To work? Can you imagine any business thriving under the slogan? No rules? And what if there are no rules on our highways? You know, there’s some countries where there are very few rules.

And it’s dangerous to get anywhere near the road. Even in a vehicle. What if we didn’t have any rules around Houston? Oh, wow, I can’t imagine it. But some people want to adopt the no rules attitude. Where there are no guidelines, the result is every kind of behavior across a wide spectrum of choices will be pursued. And I’ll tell you that the result of that is, and I like this word. Pandemonium is what you have as a result. Some people have a no rules attitude toward God. That’s found in Psalm chapter 2. Psalm chapter 2, the people devise a vain thing. The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed. And here’s what they say.

Let us tear their feathers apart and cast away their cords from us. You know, young people. A lot of people, when they look at the narrow way, they see restrictions and cords. Fetters or chains that bind us and restrict our movements in a negative way. People have always thought that about the will of God and his reign as king. And so the kings of the earth in their pomposity think, I’m going to rip God’s fetters and chains apart, and I’m going to do my own thing. And God sits in the heavens and laughs. And what is the end result of this pomposity? Show discernment, he says in verse 10. Take warning, O judges of the earth, worship the Lord with reverence and rejoice with trembling.

3. You Can Pretty Much Believe Whatever You Want

Do homage to the Son, lest he become angry, and you perish in the way. For his wrath may soon be kindled. But it’s not just a matter of people rejecting his rules and rejecting his authority, and so God says, I’m stronger than you, and so I’m going to let you have it. No, the foolishness of all of this is contained in his final words. How blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. The foolishness of wanting to cast God’s fetters and cords off. You lose the blessedness of the life of the narrow way. Number three. You can pretty much believe whatever you want. Diversity of opinions allowed. Every path is acceptable. Every thought is good and right. No judging one another’s beliefs whatsoever. And that’s, you know, people come to Matthew, that’s they come to that conclusion about Matthew 7 and verse 1.

Judge not that ye be not judged. And so they come to that verse. See, you’re not supposed to censor what I believe about anything. Well, if you come to that conclusion about Matthew 7 and verse 1, you’ve not read the context, first of all, and you certainly have not read the rest of the New Testament. What you believe matters. And those who believe and practice truth need to say something. The book of Galatians makes that abundantly clear. But people come up with these kinds of thoughts about Matthew 7 and verse 1, and that you’re really in no position to judge my beliefs about anything. After all, it says, judge not that you be not judged, because they want to be purveyors of truth. Their truth. And they don’t want anybody else to tell them different.

4. Not Much Resistance From the Adversary

But what if you’re walking the broadway? Wouldn’t you want to know that? Wouldn’t you want that to be pointed out to you? And there is a broad way, Jesus says. I’m just not supposed to say anything. Whatever you do, don’t say anything. It could upset somebody to point out to them that their thinking is not consistent with the narrow way that leads to life. Just zip it. Say nothing. Oh, I know something that you really need to know, but I’m not going to tell you because you’ll get upset if I tell you. So I’m just going to let you just waltz right down the Broadway to its end. Number four. You walk the broad way. You’re not going to get much resistance from the adversary because he’s absolutely delighted about the course you’re on.

You know, sometimes we look at the Christian life and the difficulties and challenges, and I’ll tell you sometimes you’ve got to pick yourselves up by the bootstraps and you go, This is hard. This is tough. I haven’t studied like I should. I’m not praying like I should. Who do you think’s opposed to communion and fellowship with God? The devil knows his power is that by such union. By such communion. He’s going to discourage your prayer to God, the prayers of the righteous that avail much. And so sometimes we struggle because we don’t study and meditate on the word like we should, and we know we don’t pray like we should, and evangelism. Wow, we work ourselves over on that one. Not talking to people like I should about my faith and sharing this message that they could be on the broad way that leads to destruction, and I need to rescue them from that.

And we kick ourselves, and sometimes we need to be kicked because we don’t do enough to rescue people from their sins. And why is evangelism so hard? Who do you think is opposing it? Tooth and toenail. And sometimes we look at folks who have embraced error and are dominated by erroneous thinking, and they seem to be having it great. They don’t seem to have much opposition. It’s easy for them to speak of love for Jesus. They’re talking about Jesus this and Jesus that all the time. How is it so easy for them? I’ll tell you why, because the devil thought opposing them.

Individuals who hold to a form of godliness but deny the power thereof.

5. Life's Objective Becomes Unclear

Why, by all means, let them prosper and carry on in their deception. The devil’s not opposed to that. And so sometimes when you think, why is it that it’s so hard for me? Please understand that we are admonished to fight the good fight of faith. That implies opposition. And when you choose the broad way, let me tell you another result or consequence of that. Life’s objective becomes unclear. I mean, if anything goes, then at the end of the day, what does life really mean? Since life is found in the narrow way, what kind of sense can you make out of the broad way? We should not be surprised that people with insane talent and beautiful good looks and buckoos of money still get despondent, overdose on drugs, and are found dead in bathtubs as a result.

Or become so disillusioned about life that they find themselves in rehab centers, as was in the news this past week, Demi Moore. Here are people that their lives have been glamorized. People would love to have a taste of their lifestyle. And they’re idolized by people. They seem to have it all good looks and talent and money, and something’s missing. David summarized it well. They make an uproar for nothing. Psalm 39, verses 4 through 6. I think the surpassing objective of the narrow way is summarized in the song that we sang, Living for Jesus, and that’s why I had Tim lead it. Living for Jesus, a life that is true, striving to please him in all that I do, yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free. This is the pathway of blessing for me.

6. You Won't Be Alone, But Certain Destruction

O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to thee, for thou in thy atonement didst give thyself for me. I own no other master. My heart shall be thy throne, my life I give henceforth to live, O Christ, for thee alone. Now that, ladies and gentlemen, speaks to a life of purpose and a hope beyond the grave. Everything else is vanity and striving after wind. That was Solomon’s conclusion in the book of Ecclesiastes. Well, if you’re walking the broad way, you might find some solace in the fact that you won’t be alone. Lots of company. The majority travel there. But do you realize how disappointing it can be sometimes to be found in the majority? Some of you know that while in football, I’m an Auburn fan, pretty tenaciously.

You know that my loyalty in basketball from the time I was really little has been the Kentucky Wildcats. And if you don’t follow basketball, let me just say we’re number one. As we head into the tournament next week. Last year, some of you know, Brett and I got tickets to go watch our beloved Kentucky Wildcats down at Reliance Stadium in the final four. We should have won. Well, I’ll tell you, when you follow Kentucky, no matter where you go, even Houston, Texas, you’re always going to outnumber the other team and fans. Always. Kentucky fans go everywhere. They’re like turmites. We had more fans than I was. There were Kentucky fans all over. There are Kentucky fans everywhere. In Houston. I never seen so much blue. They always outnumber the other team and fans, always.

If they can get the tickets. But you know when the final horn sounds and you lose.

Because you’re all sitting there and you lost. You’re out. There’s going to be little consolation on the last day for those who have walked the broad way. And Jesus says, goat. Not sheep. Goat. Actually, it’s this way, to the left. Depart from me. And the place prepared for the devil and his angels. Depart from me. Workers of iniquity. And so off people go. Can you imagine the tragedy of this? Off they go and they say, Well, at least I’m not alone. Look at all these ghosts. With me. I’m with the bigger court, the bigger crowd, the majority. It’s not going to be any consolation in that. In being in the bigger group. But what’s the end result? That’s what I want to focus on. Certain destruction.

Conclusion

What’s fascinating about the Broadway? It’s suicide road. Slaves of sin, according to Romans chapter 6, the outcome of those things is death. We can put any kind of label on it that we want to. Got another whole sermon or two about this passage where I talk about redefining the Broadway. Trying to convince people that the Broadway is actually the narrow way. But I’ll tell you can call it anything you want to. You can make it look wonderful. You can put some silver wrapping on it. But it’s going to lead you to destruction. And that is certain. And as I conclude this lesson this morning, I want to warn those of us who have chosen in the past the narrow way that leads to life. We must beware lest we drift away from it.

I don’t think Christians make the determination. They don’t just wake up one morning and say, you know what? I’ve had it with this narrow way. It’s hard. The devil opposes it. There are challenges. I just don’t want to extend the effort anymore. They just wake up one day and out of the blue, they decide, I’m done with this. I’m going to chuck it all. Oh, no. There was a gradual shift. A gradual movement. A drifting, if you will. Neglecting so great a salvation, Hebrews 2 and verse 3, toward the broad way. And one day the determination is made. I’m going all the way. And I’ll tell you the thing about that is, you won’t see any signs along the way that are flashing, saying, Don’t go this way.

This is danger. This is destruction. Don’t go this way. Ding. Red light, red light, red light. Oh, the devil’s telling you it’s green. Go, baby, go. The only warning you’re going to get is from the word. And from the preaching of the word. And from the warnings of his people. Let me tell you how we drift. Our resolve weakens. Our gratitude decreases. Our sense of debt wanes. Our faith begins to diminish. And our love grows cold. Jesus says it is the narrow way that leads to life. But there’s an important word here that I want to emphasize as we conclude. And it’s this five letter word. You’ve got to enter. Enter the narrow gate. And walk the narrow way that leads to life.

As Isaiah talked about in Isaiah chapter 35, and he looked at the blessings of the time of the Messiah. He says, it will be for those who walk that way, the highway of holiness. No one will err therein, or no one will wander on it. You don’t just mash. Well, how did I get here? Well, here I am on the narrow way that leads to life. Shocker. How did I pull that off? It’s not going to be an accident. The redeemed walk there. They make the determination, they make the decision. I’m going to let Jesus be my king, and I’m going to live for him. Or as Peter said when so many said, no, this narrow way, I’m just not interested in that. And they eat his flesh and drink his blood?

No, -No. They withdrew and would not follow him anymore. And Jesus, no doubt disappointed over the decision of the multitudes to walk away from him when he was the bread of heaven. Turned to his disciples and said, What about you guys? Will you also go away? But you know, this is when Peter got it right. He’s thinking, where are we going to go? To whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. I’m not going to tell you folks that the narrow way is always going to be a piece of cake for you. Never going to be any challenges, no heartache, no trouble. Because if I teach that’s not what the New Testament teaches. But what you have to keep reminding yourself of is that this narrow way is the only way to life.

Everything else is death and destruction. Emptiness and vanity. Purposelessness. The invitation of the gospel is the invitation of Jesus to not only come and to be saved, but to come and live. And I think sometimes we miss that. It’s not just about the removal of sins, but by the removal of sins, we get life. And more abundantly at that. And that’s the call of the gospel. If you need to respond and begin by entering the narrow gate.

And do so if you need to while we stand and say.