You think your life is sorted? Well think Again!
This is the stark message from our bible reading in Luke’s Gospel.
This is the first episode in our 10:30am series of sermons leading up to Easter and just beyond. Over the next few weeks we are walking with Jesus through the latter part of Luke’s Gospel, continuing from where we left of last quarter. We’ll be challenged head on with the gospel truth urged to “THINK AGAIN” which should also encourage us greatly with great hope of what Jesus Christ can bring into our lives.
A powerful preacher was reported to have preached on this passage from Luke’s Gospel and he had explained that not everyone that thinks they will, will get into heaven. Some people will be locked out and destined for eternal torment in Hell where, he said, “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” One smart elderly lady shouted out and said, “well my teeth won’t be gnashing because I haven’t got any” The preacher in his powerful preaching voice replied “Madam, teeth will be provided”
Today’s message is from Luke 13. Let’s remind ourselves about the writer: The Gospel writer Luke was a very well educated man – a Doctor of medicine. He was a companion of the Apostle Paul and (Paul was the write of much of the New Testament letters) but Luke also wrote the book of Acts.
Luke wrote his Gospel account of the life and works of Jesus to someone called Theophilus. This translates as “God Lover” and I like to think that he’s written his Gospel for God lovers everywhere not only to this specific person Theophilus.
And he wrote his Gospel account is his very scientific factual manner, in very rich educated Greek language in Rome around 26 - 47 years after Jesus’s crucifixion. He wrote his Gospel based on eye witness testimony so that you can be sure that these things are factual. (Luke 1)
Our account in Luke’s Gospel is set at a time Jesus travelling around the towns and villages, preaching and teaching on a journey that would end in Jerusalem. We pick up the account with someone telling Jesus about a particularly unfortunate group of Galileans that had died at the hands of Pilate and another group that had died in a tragic construction accident in Siloam.
The exact question that they asked isn’t said but the answer that Jesus gives indicates that the people were debating as to whether the Galileans death was brought on by their sins and were these Galileans more sinful than others.
Jesus says "No" and that the people should not concern themselves with the behaviour of the Galatians – it’s a total irrelevance. What they should concern themselves with is THEIR OWN behaviour only.
Verse 3and repeated in verse 5 “Unless YOU repent, you too will all perish”
Jesus then tells them a parable about a fig tree in a vineyard that didn’t produce any fruit. After 3 years the vineyard owner tells the gardener to cut it down. The gardener says – well let’s just give it a dig over and some fertiliser and give it one last chance to produce fruit. If it still won’t then we’ll cut it down.
We jump then to where Jesus is teaching about entering the Kingdom of God
As he’s travelling through the towns and villages someone asks him if everyone will enter heaven or will only a few people will be saved.
Jesus again turns it back on them and, implying that they don’t need to concern themselves about the actions of other people, tells them to make every effort to enter through the narrow door.
This links in with Matthew’s Gospel chapter 7 where Jesus refers to the narrow “gate” to life.
13"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
So the road to the Kingdom of heaven, to life not destruction, is through the narrow door AND Jesus says that not everyone who wants to get into heaven will get in.
They will be locked outside and it will be too late.
They will plead to God that they were Christians, that they went to Church and ate and drank with him and listened to His teachings but God will turn them away.
Other people will be in there but they – the people who thought they were eating and drinking with God and listening to the teachings will go to hell.
Where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Indeed those who think they are first in the queue (as it were) will be last and those who people perhaps thought would never get into God’s kingdom will be first in.
Friends, this is rather disconcerting.WE have shared the feast with God in this very place. We listened to His teachings in this very street. Is it US – is it ME or you that will be turned away? Is Jesus referring to me or to you?
I have a confession – I don’t believe that I am the last in the queue for heaven I like to believe that I am a true Christian and am assured of eternal life. Friends, I hope you feel the same way. How can we be sure?
The way is through the narrow door.
The first thing about narrow doors is that you can’t get through if you are a big head. If you or I sit here thinking “heaven – I’m in for sure” or “I’ve got life sorted” – then think again. We cannot afford to be “over-confident” in this matter.
Another thing about narrow doors is that when it is open there is a door post on either side. Good decent people of polite company like us may see one of these door posts as sin and of disbelief in Jesus. We know that unless people confess their sins and repent of them (that’s turn away from them) then they are heading for a crash. People want to enter through the door but because of their unforgiven sin and disbelief in Jesus they hit the doorpost and bounce back. Our message to them would be to “turn” towards Jesus and they will get through the doorway.
Great – the trouble is that some Christians, fearing banging into the doorpost give it a wide berth BUT HIT the doorpost on the other side.
In the passage from Luke’s Gospel it is clear that Jesus is not referring to unbelievers who know they are unbelievers. He’s referring to the disbelievers that are self-deceivers.
2 John 1 says this:
7Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.
The people who Jesus calls “Evildoers” think they are His followers. They are self – deceivers.
In trying to be Jesus like they turn into just church goers. They read the bible selectively – carefully missing out the bits that they find earthy or challenging. They think that God is only for the good people like them, only for your Sunday best, middle class and clean.
These people put on their Sunday best and come to church, sing songs, say prayers, eat and drink the Lord’s supper, listen to the word of God, stick around for a cupper, exchange polite greetings with the other folks and then they go home, hang up the Sunday best and become ordinary people of the world again.
But they haven’t quite realised that in normal life they still need to be Christian.
Sometimes they even become the “holier than thou” bunch. They paint themselves as being a cut above the rest and look down on everyone. They stab friends in the back with back biting and sniping, never a good word of encouragement – always criticism. The problem is that as well as being destructive within the Church, they put unbelieving people off church – the unbeliever sees the hypocrisy and thinks “well if church is going to turn me into one of those, you can keep it”. In this attempt to rightly avoid the doorpost of sin these “over confident” people crash into the doorpost of thinking they are perfect at the other side.
Some people believe that they will get to heaven because they are better than others. In the accounts that we heard of the Galileans that were killed Jesus told the people not to concern themselves with the actions of other – only care about your OWN actions. You see being a good person will not get you into the Kingdom of heaven – If you think that by coming to church and being a good person means that you have got it sorted – think again.
The bible tells us Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
So HOW CAN WE enter the Kingdom of heaven. Well first of all, whatever it is this passage makes it clear that the door will not be open forever. Whatever it is that we must do we need to do it quickly.
In the parable of the fig tree the gardener is going to give the fig tree one last chance to bear fruit otherwise it will be cut down. Your last chance to bear fruit for Christ maybe now.
Verse 24 says “make every effort” to enter through the narrow door. Make every effort – Strive – work at it – deliberately aim for it. It’s clear that you will get into heaven by accident or chance.
In verse 25 the owner of the house says “I don’t know you”
But the reply is “yes you do – we are together, drank together and you taught me – I listened”
But the owner says “go away”
This is a metaphor for God – He is the owner of the house. How can it be that he will disown me. I am a Christian, I read the bible, I take communion, I’ve been baptised, My life is sorted.
Well, I once had dinner with the government MP Mr Richard Caborn (UK Minister for Sport – like a Congressman). We sat round a table with loads of other people and we ate and drank all night long. Mr Caborn spoke at this dinner and I listened to every word. I know of Richard Caborn.
The problem is that if I were to go to the houses of Parliament and ask for Mr Cabourn he wouldn’t know me at all. We have met but I am pretty sure that he would never remember me. You see I know OF Richard Cabourn, I don’t KNOW Richard Cabourn.
And that friends is the problem. Some people have heard of the teachings of Jesus Christ. They have read the bible. They have eaten the bread and drank the wine in church. The trouble is that although they know OF Jesus they do not yet know him personally.
AND the crux of the matter is they you cannot enter heaven by sinning or by good deeds – NEITHER PROVIDE THE ANSWER.
The only way to heaven is a TRUE belief in Jesus Christ – A true belief that he has cleansed you of all your sin and is your total hope of salvation.
You have to be a real Christian. Only the salvation of Jesus Christ can open the gate to the Kingdom of God – It’s a free gift – but you have to want it and ask for it.
There’s a joke about a man who was a keen church goer. The pillar of the church.
I looked up pillar of the church in my A-Z of Christianity: a big thick thing that holds everything up and restricts vision.
(From Bacon Sandwiches and Salvation by Adrian Plass published by Authentic – a very funny book)
Although he put lots of money in the collection and the building fund (because he was quite well off) he was very critical of everyone else in the church and outside church you’d never believe he was a Christian at all.
He dies and arrives at the gates of heaven and St Peter – the man with the key looks at the computer print out (or big parchment book if you want the King James Version) for the day and says, “Sorry, you have no place here – you are due in the other place – through the door and down the stairs – mind how you go it’s hot.”
The man says that there must be a mistake – ““Oi I’m not standing here talking to the monkey – get me the organ grinder. – Go check again with God”. St Peter disappears and comes back again. “No – no mistake through the door and down the stairs – mind how you go it’s hot.”
The man gets angry, he says “Tell God it’s ME, I was the one that put hundreds of pounds in the building fund, I put notes in the collection every week – no coins – God has made a mistake – go and tell him”
St Peter disappears and then comes back. He says, “Yes you are right, I pointed out just how much money you gave over the years and God has admitted that he made a mistake,. He says here’s your money back - Through the door and down the stairs – mind how you go it’s hot.”
You can’t buy your way into heaven!
So how do we know whether we are the real thing?
Galatians 5
16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. (You may be tempted but do not gratify) 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry (thinking that objects are sacred) and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited (which implies that you put others down), provoking (that includes back stabbing and gossiping) and envying each other.
If you feel unsure of your relationship with God through Jesus Christ then today could be your special day - the good news is that “the door is open for you” NOW. Remember Jesus said “Knock and the door will be opened”
Make every effort to go to that door and knock. Make every effort to step through that door. Make every effort to get to know Jesus so well that your face will be recognised.
Do you have a relationship in your heart with Jesus Christ?
Have you been filled with the Holy Spirit?
Once the door is locked it will be too late.
You may be rightly confident of your place in heaven, a sure an certain hope in Jesus.
You may think you have no place or have doubts of your place in heaven.
You may be over-confident of your place in heaven.
In this matter don’t concern yourself with the sin of others or the consequences for others – make sure that you get that right relationship with Jesus, invite Him into your heart and be rightly sure of the hope you have in him.
