The King Revealed: Entering by the Right Gate, Following the True Shepherd
Introduction: When the King Steps Forward
Every kingdom is defined by its king. His character shapes the culture, his authority determines the boundaries, and his word decides who belongs. In Matthew 7, Jesus is not whispering gentle advice—He is revealing Himself as King. Not a life coach. Not a moral philosopher. The King.
We live in a 21st-century world that loves spirituality but resists authority, that admires Jesus but hesitates to obey Him. Yet here, at the close of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus draws a line in the sand. He speaks of two gates, two roads, two trees, two confessions, and two destinies. And then, in John 10:9, He makes it unmistakably clear: He Himself is the way in.
This is a discipleship moment. This is about following Jesus—not in name only, but in surrendered allegiance.
Matthew 7:13–23 (NLT): “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.
But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.
Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit.
A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit.
So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire.
Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.
Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.
On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’
But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’”
John 10:9 (NLT): “Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures.”
Sermon Overview
The King is revealed in three uncompromising truths:
The Narrow Gate – Salvation is Exclusive but Open to All
The Fruit Test – True Discipleship is Evident, Not Theoretical
The True Confession – Knowing Jesus, Not Just Naming Him
1. The Narrow Gate – Salvation Is Exclusive but Open to All
Jesus begins with a shock. “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate.”
In the ancient world, city gates mattered. A wide gate allowed commerce, crowds, and comfort. A narrow gate required intention, humility, and often leaving baggage behind. Jesus says the way to life is narrow, not because God is cruel, but because truth is precise.
Jesus is speaking to Jewish listeners who assumed lineage guaranteed entrance into God’s Kingdom. But Jesus dismantles inherited religion and replaces it with personal repentance and faith.
The Greek word for narrow is stenos—meaning restricted, compressed, demanding focus. This is not accidental faith; this is deliberate surrender.
Acts 4:12 (NLT): “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
In a pluralistic age that says, “All roads lead to God,” Jesus lovingly but firmly says, “No—they don’t. I do.”
Imagine being lost in thick fog on a mountain. One guide calls out, “Follow me, I know the path.” Others shout opinions. The narrow path feels risky—but it’s the only safe one.
Tim Keller said, “If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that He said; if He didn’t rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what He said?”
Keller cuts through the noise. Christianity doesn’t hinge on preference—it hinges on resurrection. And a risen King has authority to define the gate.
2. The Fruit Test – True Discipleship Is Evident
Jesus moves from entrance to evidence. Gates reveal beginnings; fruit reveals reality.
“You can identify them by their fruit.”
The Greek word karpos (fruit) refers to visible, tangible outcomes. Not perfection—but direction. Not performance—but transformation.
Galatians 5:22–23 (NLT): “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
Fruit doesn’t make a tree alive—it proves it is alive. Works don’t save us, but salvation always works its way out.
You don’t tie apples onto a dead tree and call it healthy. Life produces fruit naturally. So does new birth in Christ.
John Piper writes, “Faith alone justifies, but the faith that justifies is never alone.”
That’s discipleship in one sentence. Grace saves us completely—but it never leaves us unchanged.
Ask yourself honestly: Is Christ shaping my desires, my speech, my relationships, my obedience? Not perfectly—but genuinely?
3. The True Confession – Knowing Jesus, Not Just Naming Him
This is the most sobering moment in the passage.
“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Notice: They call Him Lord. They do ministry. They use His name. Yet Jesus says, “I never knew you.”
The word knew is ginosko—relational knowledge, intimacy, covenant closeness. This is not ignorance of facts, but absence of relationship.
Matthew 16:24 (NLT): “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.”
Jesus is not rejecting weak disciples—He is rejecting false disciples. People who want His power without His lordship.
R.T. Kendall said, “We can be orthodox in belief and still disobedient in life.”
That’s a warning wrapped in grace. Right doctrine must lead to surrendered devotion.
John 10:9 – The King Reveals the Door
Here Jesus removes all ambiguity: “I am the gate.”
Not a gate. Not one of many. The gate.
John 14:6 (NLT): “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
Gospel Declaration
Jesus lived the sinless life we could not live.
He died the death our sin deserved.
He was buried—and on the third day, He rose again in victory.
Repentance is turning from self-rule.
Faith is trusting Christ alone.
Salvation is entering through the Gate.
Charles Stanley said, “Salvation is not about reforming your life; it is about receiving a new one.”
That’s the narrow gate. Not behaviour modification—but resurrection life.
Call to Action: Choose the Gate, Follow the King
For believers:
Examine your fruit.
Submit daily to Christ’s lordship.
Walk the narrow road with joy and courage.
For seekers and hearers:
Religion won’t save you. Ministry won’t save you. Morality won’t save you.
Jesus saves.
Invitation to Salvation:
If today you hear His voice, don’t harden your heart.
Repent. Believe. Enter by the Gate.
Pray from your heart:
“Lord Jesus Christ, I confess that I am a sinner. I turn from my sin and my self-rule. I believe You died for me and rose again. I trust You alone as my Saviour and I submit to You as my Lord. Lead me on the narrow road that leads to life. Amen.”
Conclusion and Benediction
Church, the King has been revealed.
The gate stands open.
The Shepherd calls His sheep.
“May the Lord lead you on the narrow path, fill you with living fruit, and keep you close to the voice of the True Shepherd—until the day you enter the Kingdom in full. Amen.”
“The King is revealed—not to be admired at a distance, but followed with our whole lives.”
