Staying the Right Course
Matthew 7:13-20
Intro: Last week we talked about the fact that every human has a free will and cannot be forced (nor can we force others) to accept God’s way of life that He offers freely. When someone tries to force someone to follow a certain path, through manipulation or overriding their will, that is a problem. That is the tactic of a false teacher.
-Some may try to confuse others and draw a following. God is aware of this and offers us inner transformation as we seek Him. We don’t need to impress anybody but the Lord. He alone can give us a sense of direction, purpose, and hope! There is an increasing sense of urgency to get as close to Him as we possibly can, and to let Him use us to draw others to Him as well.
-In our text today, we are reminded again that we all have a free will, and that there are other options out there. However, when you boil them all down, you are faced with two basic options: Either love the Lord your God with everything you’ve got, or go your own way and try to handle things yourself. See, we choose who we will listen to. We align ourselves with people who think like we do and possess the same values we do. So even if we find ourselves following someone else, we have made a decision to walk through that gate and take that path. Don’t let someone pull you off course simply because their path collides with yours. Stay the course! Continue to live from the heart! Don’t get distracted by performance holiness. Allow the Lord to bring transformation you the inside and then live from the new heart and spirit He puts within you!
-So from our text today, the words of Jesus give us directions on how to choose the right path; He gives us a warning concerning who we follow and allow to influence our lives and decisions; and He gives the means by which we can evaluate the leadership of those whom we follow.
Prop: We can stay on track with God if we will stay connected with and keep following Him.
TS: Let’s look at these words from Jesus to help us find and stay on track w/ Him.
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. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. 15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
I. The only way in (Matthew 7:13-14)
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
-- Robert Frost
-Robert Frost was not the first to talk about the road less traveled. Jesus said that only a few would take the road that leads 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. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
-Someone said that the road to Hell is not labeled “Hell”. It is labeled “Heaven”. It looks easy and comfortable. It requires little effort. Just go with the flow. Go along with the crowd. After all, sincerity is all that really matters, right? Those who would say so are sincerely mistaken. That approach is known as pluralism, or perhaps universalism. Pluralism presents the view that there are many gods and religions, and that they are all equally valid. Universalism gives the idea that all people will be saved and go to heaven, because a loving God would never send anyone to hell.
-Oxford theologian Alister McGrath was right when he said, "Universalism denies humanity the right to say no to God." Not everybody will make it into heaven because not everybody wants to go there. Jesus said that only a few would find it.
-But He makes it very clear throughout the Bible how we can find it. Why is it a narrow gate? There are different thoughts about what this means. Some say it means that the way is so restricted that you can’t carry anything with you. That may be true- you can’t take it with you.
-Bottom line, I believe it speaks directly of the person of Jesus and our surrender and obedience to Him. In John 14:6 Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus is the narrow gate through which we must pass if we wish to enter the kingdom of heaven. Why so narrow? Why so exclusive? Because His perfect life was the only thing with enough value to pay for my sins and your sins. There is nothing we can offer God that will take care of our sin problem. We must come to Him empty handed, trusting that the payment of the life of Jesus was enough to cover our own lives. So Jesus is the way- the only way to get right with God and get into heaven.
-But the narrow road tells us that there is a journey ahead of us and that it won’t be easy. The easy way seems pretty enticing sometimes, but Jesus said it leads to destruction. Anyone can take that road, and unfortunately many do. However, He calls you to the narrow, confined road that can be difficult to travel. I hope you got your directions from Him. If not, maybe it’s time for a U-turn. You can turn around and come back to the narrow gate and start your journey with Jesus. It won’t be easy, but you are not alone. He is with you, and so is your church family.
-Dallas Willard sums up the basic message of Jesus in these words: “Rethink your life in the light of the fact that the kingdom of the heavens is now open to all.” This allows us to enter based on who Jesus is. And as we live as His students, He changes our hearts, allowing us to live from our hearts naturally, becoming who He wants us to be. The narrow gate is where heart change begins, which then becomes life change.
-TS: Well, secondly, Jesus gave a warning about people who would try to lead them down the wrong path.
II. Be careful who you listen to (Matthew 7:15)
15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
-Watch who you follow. Don’t be taken in by words or charisma. Don’t follow someone just because they stroke your ego. They may look all soft and wooly, but be careful. Sometimes things are not as they appear.
-Now why would Jesus give such a warning? Doesn’t it seem a bit paranoid? Have any of you met any false prophets lately? Has anyone tried to lead you astray? Maybe so, but for most of us, probably not – or not that we know of.
-Jesus gave a strong warning about these false prophets because they are dangerous. He compared them to vicious wolves. I’m sure some of them actually think they are right. However, it makes them no less dangerous. A wolf is a wolf and will do what a wolf does – goes for the kill. They may look good and sound good on the outside, but on the inside all they are thinking about is eating sheep!
-To my knowledge, a wolf would not try to attack an entire flock of sheep at once. Rather, the wolf will pick out the young, a straggler or a weak sheep. False prophets can easily influence those who are weak in their faith. They can make them feel good about themselves and lull them into a false sense of security. Then when they get their chance they devour their prey. Jesus said to watch out for them! How do we do that?
III. Fruit Inspection 101 (Matthew 7:16-20)
16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
-Don’t judge their words alone. Jesus implied in v.21 that they might even call Him Lord and pretend to follow Him. However, their wolf nature will come out if you watch their life. Sometimes you may get a bad feeling about someone. You can’t always trust those feelings, but if you have them, then just keep your eyes wide open and ask God to reveal truth. Not just verbal truth, but lifestyle truth.
-The fruit that Jesus referred to is obedience to God the Father and the commands He has given us. What kind of commands? Start with the greatest: Matthew 22:37-39 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. Love your neighbor as yourself.” If a prophet/teacher consistently fails to demonstrate love for God and people, then stay clear. If they do not love God through their actions- prayer, worship, service, etc., it will become obvious. If they do not love people, showing no care or generosity or trying to help in various ways, that too will become obvious.
-It is interesting that this chapter starts off by saying not to judge, but in these verses it says you will know the false prophets by the fruit in their life, whether good or bad. Clearly we need to be able to evaluate the fruit in someone’s life. What Jesus said to avoid was a critical spirit of finding the faults of everyone else but ignoring your own.
-So, fruit inspection is important as we look at those who lead us. But it is also important as we look at our own lives. Whoever is being governed by their own desires instead of doing the Lord’s will from a heart that fully belongs to Him is full of bad fruit. God’s life and love in us should come to characterize the core of our personality. Obedience is what naturally flows from the life of God in us.
Conclusion: So in closing, what do we do with these words of Jesus? How can we get on the right track? He gave us directions to heaven. Use the narrow gate. Stay on the narrow road. He Himself is the gate. He is the road that leads to life. But the journey will not be a leisurely vacation – not if you are really going to do things His way. So first, come to Jesus and receive Him as your forgiver and leader. Second, watch out! There are those who desire to lead you down the wrong path. Whatever their motives, their hearts are on the broad path that leads to destruction. They have no real interest in doing what the Father wants. Look at the fruit of their lives and if it’s bad fruit, avoid them. And while you’re at it, look at your own life. Are you on the right road? Are you doing what God has asked you to do from the Bible? How about when you sense Him speaking to you in daily life? Staying on the right track will not happen by accident. We will need the grace of God and the support of one another. Ask God for His help, and offer your prayer and support to those around you. We’re in this together. Let’s do this together by the grace and mercy of God!
