Enter the Gate of Life

Matt 7:
13 " Enter by the narrow gate; for wide [is] the gate and broad [is] the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 "Because narrow [is] the gate and difficult [is] the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

- Many great men and women in Scripture have chosen the right gate and way of living
- This is a matter of choice we have to personally make
- Just like salvation, we make our choice to believe in Jesus
- After salvation there's a choice to follow the gate and pathway we want to walk in our Christian pilgrimage
- The Israelites were saved out of Egypt and preserved by the blood, but didn't chose correctly thus perished in the wilderness
- God didn’t save us to die, but to have life and all its abundance! (John 10:10)
- Don't make the same mistake as the Israelites did during the exodus

1. Who is Jesus addressing?
Matt 5:
And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

- The Sermon on the Mount begins with Jesus' disciples coming to Him. If they weren't His disciples they wouldn't have give Jesus their time to sit and listen.
- Therefore the call to enter the narrow gate and walk the difficult way is meant for His disciples. Are there then those who claim themselves to be His disciples choosing the wrong gate and way? Unfortunately yes and many WILL go in by it
- There are but two ways right and wrong, good and evil; the way to heaven and the way to hell; in the one or other of these all are walking:
- There is no middle place hereafter, no middle way now

Matt 24:
40 Then shall two be in the field ; the one shall be taken , and the other left . 41 Two [women shall be] grinding at the mill ; the one shall be taken , and the other left . 42 Watch therefore : for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come .

- Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Samuel, the Nazirites, David, John the Baptist, Stephen, Paul, etc chose the narrow gate and difficult way
- We will look into the life of Abraham who in got out of the world's system and entered the narrow gate and walked difficult way.

2. Get out to enter in!

12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram , Get thee out of thy country , and from thy kindred , and from thy father's house , unto a land that I will shew thee:

- Abram made mistakes but God was with him
- His journey wasn't an easy one having no son till 100 (just he but Sarah also suffered ridicule) plus a difficult nephew who had only eyes for the world (and having to rescue him through battle and intercession)

Four I Wills
Gen 12:
12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram , Get thee out of thy country , and from thy kindred , and from thy father's house , unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great nation , and I will bless thee, and make thy name great ; and thou shalt be a blessing : 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed .

1. I will show thee
God will personally guide our pilgrim's progress and ensure our protection and providence. God showed the Israelites the way to the promiseland by His guiding presence. More importantly the laws and ordinances were given on their journey.

Psa 119:
105 Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet , and a light unto my path .

2. I will exalt you
Jam 4:
6 But he giveth more grace . Wherefore he saith , God resisteth the proud , but giveth grace unto the humble .

- Gen 6:8, Noah found grace in God's eyes thus preserved when everything around were destroyed

Psa 37:
34 Wait on the LORD , and keep his way , and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land (promises):

- Exaltation by God and not men, brings an inheritance of His promises

3. I will bless you

4. I will bless others through you!

The difficult way

1. God loves me and has a destiny for me

Rom 8:
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God , to them who are the called according to [his] purpose .

- First we have to know and know in our heart of hearts that God has an eternal good for each one of us
- Just as the Israelites were destined to the Promiseland following with abundance of richness (milk) and sweetness (honey) of life, and failed. So near yet so far. Can see and even taste of its goodness but can't claim

2. Lessons on the pathway of life
Psa 119:
71 [It is] good for me that I have been afflicted ; that I might learn thy statutes .

- Unfortunately important lessons in life can't be learned without pain
- We do need to learn them because our human or sinful nature contradict His

1 Pet 4:
1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh , arm yourselves likewise with the same mind : for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin ; 2 That he no longer should live the rest of [his] time in the flesh to the lusts of men , but to the will of God .

- Make no mistake that God's dealings with our sinful flesh can be severe
- Submit and not struggle, for His thoughts and ways are for our greater good (Isa 55:8-9)

3. Values of the pathway of life
Phil 3:
7 But what things were gain to me , those I counted loss for Christ . 8 Yea doubtless , and I count all things [but] loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord : for whom I have suffered the loss of all things , and do count them [but] dung , that I may win Christ ,

- Our pilgrimage will require us to shed baggage
- Shed things that don't have eternal value and take on a excellent, supreme knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Who is the Way (no other alternative), is the Truth (reality, no deception and without regret) and is the Life (Zoe : absolute fullness of life, both essential and ethical, which belongs to God) (John 14:6)

4. Reward in the pathway of life

Matt 5:
11 Blessed are ye , when [men] shall revile you , and persecute [you], and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely , for my sake . 12 Rejoice , and be exceeding glad : for great [is] your reward in heaven : for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you .

- People in the church that choose the narrow gate and difficult way will go against the grain of 'normal' Christian life because they are willing to allow God to deal with our sin.

Eph 1:
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world , that we should be holy and without blame before him in love :

- God wants us to end up holy (remember that He has a destiny for us, this is it! Even before the foundation of the world)
- So how serious do we think God is about sin if He has it in His heart right from the beginning
- Therefore our reward is of great heavenly value and eternal in nature
- Unfortunately the majority in our churches seeks after the 'now' rewards of earthly gains where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal (Matt 6:19)
- The cousin's understand this more than us, hence the following of the call to jihad which is willing to lose everything for heavenly gain. But we know what their end is.