Rendezvous With God

Answer to Question #3

The answer to Question #3 turned out to be my sermon topic a month ago. You can listen. Or you can read the text below.

Today we’re going to focus on a text out of Matthew 7. A section out of the gospel called the “Sermon on the Mount.” But before we turn there, we’re going to need a little bit of background. In order to do that we need to look at the very beginning of chapter 5.

1Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2and he began to teach them saying…

This is the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount. However, contrary to what is believed about this “sermon.” It really wasn’t a sermon at all. Take a look. “Now he saw the crowds…” Then, what did he do next? He went up the mountainside. Jesus wasn’t preaching to a crowd, he was getting away from a crowd. Then what does he do next? It says, “He sat down!” Now, for anyone who knows acting or speaking, the worst way to address a crowd is to sit down. So, it must have been a small crowd…which indeed it was because then the text says, “His disciples came to him and he began to teach them saying…”

What is very important to catch here is that Jesus wasn’t preaching to a crowd, he was preaching to his disciples. To his followers. It was an intimate small group teaching. The sermon on the mount folks isn’t for everyone. What Jesus goes on to talk about in chapters 5, 6, and then seven is meant for his followers, people walking with Him and know him well.

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

I’ve seen that verse so many times, and it’s always presented as a downer. Reading it just looks like defeat. “Only a few will find the road that leads to life. That no matter how hard we try, only a few people will really be saved. Many people will go to hell??

However, is this what these verses are talking about? Remember folks. The Sermon on the Mount was being taught to his disciples, and the whole of it is for his followers. So, is this the “gospel”, the “good news?” Is this salvation Jesus is talking about? Will some will make it, but others will perish? Now, Jesus is clear, there are those who are “in” and those who are “out.”

In Matthew 25 it says, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.”
However, if then the “gospel” is JUST about getting people in through the narrow gate, then that view of God seems narrow indeed. Isn’t He about so much more then that. What happens to people when they enter the narrow gate? They sit and wait to…die?

You see I’ve been struggling so much lately asking myself the emphasis we as followers of Jesus need to be placing on “sharing the gospel” in the sense of a salvation prayer. Are we really supposed to be notching up our bible covers the amount of people we lead through the “narrow” gate? I don’t in anyway mean to diminish Jesus’ redemptive work on the cross. That’s not what what this sermon is about.

The Church has an image problem. Unfortunately, that image has nothing to do with who Jesus is, but He gets blamed for it. You’ll find many people these days who care little about eternal life. How popular is the phrase, “Go to Hell?” Did you know that there has been a 92% increase of people who don’t even going to church since 1992. Many people see the church has trying to recruit others into their club, rather than trying to do something about the endless number of problems in this world. A Gallop Pole once said that one out of five people who don’t go to church would go if the church was “serious about working for a better society.” The Church has an image problem.

While we all fear death, it seems very few really care what happens to them after they die. However, ask those same people how they’re going to pay their bills and you’ll see the fear wash over them. We live in a culture that’s forever focused on what’s right in front of us. Eternal salvation?? That’s just too far away to thing about.

We as followers of Jesus, we know the importance of salvation and ultimately eternal life as we follow a risen Lord who died in our place to bring us to God NOW and FOREVER. However, I believe that the gospel is about MORE than JUST eternal life. I’m drawn to scripture like Luke 9:6 where it says:

“So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere.“

Now…if Jesus sent the disciples out to preach the gospel…and Jesus hadn’t died and risen yet…what did the disciples preach about the gospel? They knew little about Jesus’ redemption because it hadn’t taken place yet.

Studying the book of Matthew, I’ve come to believe that Verses 13 and 14 are talking about something so much MORE then JUST eternal salvation. So the question then is… why is this verse often related to eternal salvation? You see, what we often do as followers of Jesus is something called “proof-texting.” It’s an easy thing to do in our bumper sticker culture. We take a verse and quote it and put in on T-Shirts, our coffee mugs, and on our Facebook. We don’t often ask ourselves what the verse really means in the context that it was originally given. Remember what Greg Woods said last Sunday, “Context is Everything.” Look at the all verses leading up to verses 13 and 14. You have to ask yourself…does this really have anything to do with how many people make it “in” and how many people are “out?”

Verses 1-5

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

3“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

You can never be a judge, that power rests with God along. This verse is about about humility and accountability for followers of Jesus. Even then their must be:

1) a relationship

2) Must be able to empathize and have struggled as others have struggled. Remember the old saying…”Don’t judge a man unless you’ve walked a mile in his moccasins.”
It’s very important to remember that it’s not about how to keep non-Christians from doing bad things. It’s about our understanding of our place as one who has been forgiven and not better then others.

Verse 6“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.This is a strange and often overlooked passage, but looking at it closer…it’s so important to how a follower of Jesus should live in this world.
Looking at it closely you’ll find that it means forcing righteousness on those who don’t follow Jesus is like trying to give away a precious gift to those who have no intention of caring for them. Forcing morality on the immoral isn’t sharing the gospel. It’s just showing “those people” that Jesus is bossy.
In verse 6, it even suggests that the life we receive as followers of Christ (in regard to morality and right-living) is to be considered sacred and treated like a pearl. Something not thrown to pigs or dogs or people who have no appreciation for a life in Christ. It says “they will turn and tear you to pieces.” The church folks, has an image problem. We’ve too often told those who don’t follow Jesus that they need to stop their “bad things” that they’re doing, only to have those same people resent the chuch.

Verses 7-11

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 9“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

John Piper said in a recent sermon…”God is not busy. Load up his shoulders if you believe He is strong.”
Jesus wants his followers to ask for things, to seek him out for help and not just go to the door, but actually knock for his attention. I’ve heard it said that this verse promises that God will give them whatever they ask. “If I only pray…God will give me the best house I want.” But, remember Jesus also said,

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.”

To be a follower of Jesus, one must remain in the heart of Jesus.

Do you think Jesus wants you to ask for the best house, the biggest TV, and the best clothes?

Here’s one for you…According to the UN, in 2006… “Some 1.1 billion people in developing countries have inadequate access to water, and 2.6 billion lack basic sanitation.” There are 300 Million People in the United States.

What are you asking God for these days? Is he giving you stones or snakes? God knows how to give good gifts and he will.

Verse 12
12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

This is a truth so paramount in our society today, that people don’t even associate it with scripture anymore.
This is often called the Golden Rule, and it’s actually found other ancient texts. In Christianity, the Golden Rule is positive. In many other cultures where we see the golden rule, it’s in the negative. DO to others rather then DO NOT. In the gospel, it implies action on our part rather than inaction.

Lastly this verse says, this sums up the law of the prophets. In Hebrew, the Law of the Prophets is called the Torah. The first five books of the bible.

All of these verses leading up to verse 13-14 are talking how to live and what to do. They’re talking about discipleship and action. They’re talking about what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

Discipleship

Prayer

How to treat others

If you look at entire Sermon on the Mount up to that point it talks about:

Murder
Adultery
Divorce
Revenge
Giving to the needy
Fasting

There is a sense that Jesus is reviewing the law…the Torah. How to live life. A holy life. Years ago I got a picture in my head about what it means to be holy. You ever mix oil and water? They don’t. The oil always separates from the water. That’s a picture of holiness. Set apart. Jesus is asking us to be holy.

Moving back to our main verse let’s make the connection. One glance at verse 12 to 13 seems like a right turn. Talking about the law and prophets, then all the sudden…Jesus says, “Enter though the narrow gate.”
Enter through the narrow gate?
What is this gate Jesus is talking about?

If you were a 1st century Jew and Jesus started talking about gates. Your first instinct would not to be to start thinking of pearly gates, heavenly gates, or gates into His kingdom, but gates found in and around Jerusalem. It was very common in those days for cities to have walls. As a matter of fact, Wall Street in New York, was named because right were Wall Street is today once stood the walls to New York City. And that was only 400 years ago.

The walls of Jerusalem had multiple gates to get in and out of the city. These gates served many functions outside of letting people in and out. One common use for gates in first century Jerusalem was marketing. People outside the city walls would meet up with people inside the city walls to buy and trade. So, different gates got different names based upon what was the most common item being sold at the gate. So, there was a fish gate and there was a sheep gate. There was also a dung gate. These gates seemed to attract all sorts of different people. It became a place for the exchange of ideas. Political and philosophical ideas were being discuss as people traded fish, or sheep. It was also a place for the Roman guards to take your money with high toll costs. Criminals like to hang out at these gates. All kinds of thieves made prey out of people funnelling in and out of the city.
Alot of these gates were large. Large heavy doors allowed all sorts of traffic coming in and out of the city. If you were coming into the city, generally you had alot of stuff with you. All your possessions you can fit on a camel. Quite often these large doors were closed at night. And because these doors were so heavy they generally weren’t opened again until morning. So they put a little door in the big door. These little doors, these narrow gates, became known as “eye of the needle” gates, relative to their size being compared to the eye of a sewing needle. They were 18 inches wide, just enough for one person. Later in Matthew and in other gospels Jesus talks about the kingdom of heaven and he mentions again this Eye of the Needle. He says that people with lots of stuff, lots of riches just might have a hard time getting through this very small gate.
So…Jesus’ disciples would have made the connection. A narrow gate! “Sure”, they might say, “I know that kind of gate, you can’t get anything through those gates except maybe yourself.” So…we have a narrow gate.
What about the road?

You see, the broad path was easy, it was crowded, and there were no views. But, the narrow path was hard, but it had a better view.

What’s on the other side of this gate?

For the disciples a gate into Jerusalem was a gate to the temple. The holy of holies. In their day, it was said that the temple was where God was.
This is the point that Jesus is trying to make. On the other side…is life. “Jesus said, I am the way..the truth and the….” So, where God is…is life. And it’s not JUST life after we die…it’s life…TODAY.
If you take the broad gate, you’re going to have alot of stuff weighing you down, your camels, your fish, your chickens…your pain, your guilt, your shame, your past…

If you take the wide road, it’s crowded, it’s slow there are thieves, and murderers, the Roman guards might stop you and tax you and take your money and your stuff. You could get bogged down in political, philosophical, and religious debates. In the end, you take the risk, because to take the broad gate means risking to keep most of what you own. It means you get to keep your personal kingdom. Guess what…your kingdom leads to destruction.
I recognize the fact that in the first century, Jesus’ disciples would realize that each gate led you into Jerusalem, but that’s not the point Jesus is trying to make. here. Jesus makes it clear that each gate has a different destination, one if life…the other is destruction. Two gates…two destinations.

Jesus wants you to have life and life to the fullest. The gate is an entrance into His kingdom which in itself is life. Life in His kingdom is NOT just for tomorrow, its for Today. Early in the sermon on the mount Jesus shows his disciples how to pray, and he tells them to pray “Our Father in Heaven, Holy is Your Name, Your Kingdom come, on Earth…as it is in Heaven.” Jesus’ Kingdom has yet to come and yet is actively coming to this earth. As followers of Jesus we participate in bringing God’s Kingdom to earth. You need only enter through a gate that’s meant for you to just walk through.

The narrow gate and small road as hard as it is…is completely simple. Focused and unhindered by nothing but your ability to do what FEW others are doing. You need only walk through the gate where you’ll see Jesus on the other end, arms wide open, waiting for you. It’s that simple, but you need to choose.

Jesus describes his kingdom many times using simple terms.

The kingdom is like a mustard seed.
The kingdom is like yeast.
The kingdom is like a treasure hidden in the field.
The kingdom is like a net laid down in the water.
To Enter the Kingdom…you must become…like children…simple.

You see…this was a new a groundbreaking revelation to the disciples when they first heard this. Before Jesus they thought to get “in” they needed a huge…broad…wide…set of rules…the TORAH…the law of the prophets…was how they thought you were saved. If you do all that…then maybe…just maybe…you might get in.

Here…Jesus is telling them…they need only focus one thing and that’s His Kingdom…you need only focus on Jesus…this sums up the Law of the Prophets.

I’ve Entered the Gate…Now what?

So, if you’re a follower of Jesus, you’ve walked through the narrow gate, right? What does it look like to be on the other side? How’s the view over there?

Let’s start with what the Kingdom of God DOESN’T look like:

The Kingdom is not a culture. As good as all these things are, he didn’t come to bring us a Christian culture where we drink, eat, and sleep Christian music, movies, seminars, t-shirts. God’s Kingdom is not a Magic Kingdom except you substitute Mickey Mouse for Jesus. Christian is not an adjective, it’s a noun. It literally means, little Christ. Jesus did not come to make things “Christian”, but came to make people into a little Christ. To become like Him.

The Kingdom is not morality. Jesus didn’t come to make us good people, or nice people, or well behaved. Certainly there are many many moral people today and yesterday who are not and were not followers of Jesus. Good people…just not followers of Jesus.

The Kingdom is not a place. Before Jesus, God made himself plain to one group of people (the Hebrews) and was said to reside in the temple in Jerusalem. NOW, the Kingdom is available to all. It knows no borders, it has no land.

So…what IS this kingdom on the other side of this narrow gate we’ve walked through?

The Kingdom is Coming and is Here. I know it’s a paradox, but the kingdom of God…what’s found through this narrow gate we are talking about is both here, and is coming. In Matthew 12, it says that the “Kingdom has come upon you.”…then in Luke 17:20-21 it says, “Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is…”

The Kingdom is the Reign of God over all things. The kingdom is not some mystical Star Wars force where God is in everything. It’s God exercising his rule over everything as King of His Kingdom.

The Kingdom has heirs. As a follower of Jesus, entering the narrow gate you’ve inherited His kingdom. In Matthew 25..

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.“

And now…as one who has entered the narrow gate, who has inherited a Kingdom, Jesus resides in you. Look again at the last part of Luke 17:20–21 “ because the kingdom of God is within you (or among you).”

What does this mean for us as followers of Jesus? You’ve made a choice. “Two Roads Diverged in a Wood…” as Robert Frost said and how does the poem end, ” I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” You’ve inherited a new life, and a new mission. You’re on a new road, entering new gate. If Matthew 7:13-14 is JUST about salvation then verses like Romans 10:9 which read

That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.“

…would now read something like…

“If you believe in your heart that Jesus is my forgiver, then you’ll be saved.” But it says to confess with your mouth (an action) that “Jesus is Lord”…a verbal proclamation that He is my new king! He’s my new boss!

As a co-heir in the kingdom of God your participating with God in the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom of God. He is here! And, also bringing the kingdom here. God’s Kingdom is about restoration. It’s about putting back together the mess we made a long time ago, and he brings us in on the battle to bring this earth back to the way it was supposed to be. And God will do it!! Every person, every animal, every plant, everything in this world back as God intended.

The battle is also now folks. As followers of Jesus we’re called to be part the kingdom bringing the “new heavens and the new earth” here and now.

He starts with you.

He starts by restoring you to Himself. He helps you enter the gate, by ridding you of all the baggage that doesn’t fit. He works in you making you more like Himself everyday. By doing this you begin restoring relationships around you one at a time. Not judging others, but loving others has you are loved, being Jesus to those around you. You’re bringing the Kingdom here by asking the King for His help as He loves to give. Ultimately, lives will change other lives and a community is born. A community together, people who are restored to God with an inheritance in His kingdom. The scope is widened to the point where God’s restoring whole towns, cities, and countries. The hungry are fed, habitual sins overcome, debts are paid, houses repaired, marriages mended. It’s a chain reaction of restoration where ultimately God’s kingdom will be restored.

Folks the gospel, the “good news” is not just for followers of Jesus, its for everyone…everyone will benefit from you’re having entered the gate.

A Church that HAD an image problem now bares the image of Jesus Christ.
Remember folks the narrow road is hard work. You’re trading your easy road for a better view. However…the view through the narrow gate is so much better. It’s wide enough for one man. And as you look down that road into the narrow gate, on the other side you see, only one man. You see Jesus.