The Way of the Saved Minority

Transcript

GRM 1039
7/19/2009
The Way of the Saved Minority
Matthew 7:13-20
Gil Rugh


We're in Matthew 7 in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus is talking about the kingdom that He will be establishing on the earth, the kingdom that He was offering to the nation Israel, the kingdom that would be rejected because they were unwilling to have Him as their king. We have no king but Caesar, will be their cry at His trial and crucifixion. So Jesus Christ did not establish the kingdom because the nation would not believe in Him. But at this point in His ministry He is telling them what is required to be part of the kingdom. He started out by talking about the blessings of those who would be part of the kingdom, describing the believers, and really that's something of an introduction to the whole Sermon on the Mount that covers chapters 5-7.

Come back to chapter 5, after describing the blessedness in the beatitudes of those who are truly believers, some of their characteristics, they are salt and light in the world, He said in verse 17, do not think I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. That really begins the body of the sermon, if you will, with the previous verses forming something of an introduction in describing true believers, those who will be part of the kingdom.

Now as you come over to chapter 7 you come to another familiar passage, sometimes called the Golden Rule, verse 12, you really come to the conclusion of the main body of the Sermon on the Mount when He says in everything therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you. For this is the Law and the Prophets. And this ties us back to chapter 5 verse 17, I didn't come to abolish the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfill them. And now he pulls that together by saying this is the Law and the Prophets. Treat others the way you want them to treat you.

Now in the verses preceding verse 12 which we've already looked at, verses 7-11, we noted the focus is on God and that ties to the basic commandment, the most important commandment in the Old Testament Law—you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind. And now verse 12 summarizes the second most important commandment in the Law—you shall love your neighbor as yourself. And really that ties all the Law together.

Turn over to Matthew 22, Jesus will make that statement. And again the context is the Pharisees and their followers. The Sadducees were the other major group, the scribes were a subset of the Pharisees. The Sadducees were the liberal party, the Pharisees were the conservative party. Remember Jesus said early in the Sermon on the Mount, chapter 5 verse 20, you must have a greater righteousness than the scribes and Pharisees if you're going to go into the kingdom. Now here in verse 34, when the Pharisees heard Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him. Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law? And He said to him, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. That's basically what Jesus covered in Matthew 7:7-11, really that passionate pursuit of God begins with the recognition of our sin and our calling upon Him for our salvation. And that begins a life of looking to Him as the One who meets all our needs. The second is like it, verse 39, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the prophets.

So as you come back to Matthew 7, Jesus has talked about that and we've already noted, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and you seek in Him the salvation that only He can provide, and now as one of His children you seek from Him all of the necessities of life. And thus indeed we love Him with all our heart, soul and mind. Verse 12 is saying the same thing as loving your neighbor as yourself. You treat others in the same way you want them to treat you. This is the Law and the Prophets.

Turn over to Romans 13, we'll see it elaborated a little bit. Verse 8, owe nothing to anyone except to love one another. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the Law. For this, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet. And if there is any other commandment it is summed up in this saying, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfillment of the Law. Love is always doing what is best for the other person. So naturally adultery is a selfish act, murder, stealing. When you say love your neighbor you summarize all these commandments having to deal with our relationships with other people.

When you come back to Matthew 7:12, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, love your neighbor as yourself. We care for ourselves, we need to treat others the way we would want to be treated. It doesn't say we are to treat others so they will treat us nicely. We treat others the way we would want to be treated, we are putting them first. That's saying the same thing as love your neighbor as yourself. So it is called the Golden Rule and really is just another way of saying love your neighbor as yourself. It's another one of those very, very familiar verses in the Sermon on the Mount. Judge not that you be not judged, the beatitudes—blessed are the merciful and blessed are the poor in spirit—that people often know.

But now Jesus is ready to draw the sermon to a conclusion and just as He started out in the first 16 verses in describing the blessedness of the true believer, the one who is going into the kingdom, now He is going to draw a stark contrast between those who will go into the kingdom and those who will not. And I daresay people who like to refer to the Sermon on the Mount, different portions of it.......... I've had unbelievers share portions of the Sermon on the Mount, bring that up to me in conversations. I've never had anyone like that bring up the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount. This is one of the most unpopular teachings that the Bible has. What we have here is exclusiveness. Jesus is, with several illustrations, going to draw contrast between a believer and an unbeliever, between a person going to go into the kingdom and a person who is going to go into hell. And He's going to wipe out any gray areas. First He's going to talk about there is a narrow gate and there is a broad gate; there is a narrow way and there is a broad way; there are two destinies—the broad way leads to destruction, the narrow way leads to life. He's going to talk about two kinds of trees, a good tree and a bad tree; two kinds of fruit, good fruit and bad fruit; two kinds of destinies, life and destruction. He's going to talk about two kinds of foundations from which we build our lives. One of the foundations is sand, one is a foundation of a rock; one results in the destruction and loss of everything and one results in salvation.

This kind of teaching grates on people. You may have people you talk to and they like the morals, generalizing—judge not that you be not judged, blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are the merciful. And they are good verses, but they have to be put in the context. This is the same sermon, if you will, that Jesus is giving. People like to ______ Sermon on the Mount and say that's so important, I think it's right, the merciful, the poor in spirit. I received a missionary magazine this week at home and they use those verses out of the beatitudes all the time but never have I seen in any of their publications I receive every month as well as letters anything on the closing verses of the Sermon on the Mount. You understand what Jesus is talking about is very crucial. And furthermore, you know what Jesus is going to say? Most of the people are not going to make it to the kingdom, the majority are going to hell. There are only two options and most of the people have taken the wrong option. That exclusivity. People like to think today we live in a pluralistic society, and it's all right for you to have your views and someone else to have their views. But what is not acceptable is for you to say someone else is wrong. I read in one of the other countries a couple that was sentenced to I think six weeks in jail because they gave out tracts that implied that homosexuality was sin. And that was an offense against the law, against hate crimes and so on in their country. _________it's all right to hold your view, but you can't say that someone else is wrong.

Well here is the Sermon on the Mount and Jesus closes with an extensive section. So we pick up with verse 13, enter through the narrow gate, with instruction from Him. Here is what you must do—enter through the narrow gate for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life and there are few who find it. A striking contrast, not a popular concept, now what people identify with the Sermon on the Mount that most people are going to hell. What He's talking about is destruction here. They are not going to go into the kingdom, they're not going to enter into the life, eternal life, the life that will characterize those in the kingdom. Most people aren't. It's a narrow gate and a narrow way that leads to life. Few there are that find it. You must make the right choice. This is not new material to the Jews that are listening to Jesus' instruction. This characterizes their Old Testament. It's not like, I never thought He would say that. This is the very thing that their Old Testament taught them.

Come back to Deuteronomy 30, look at verse 6 which is the background. Moreover the Lord you God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, so that you may live. You see, remember talking in the Sermon on the Mount that what it takes is a transformation of heart, a removal of sin from the heart, which is deceitful and desperately wicked, the making new of a person on the inside so that the result is a changed life. Then you can love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul that you may live.

Come down to verse 15, see I have set before you today life and prosperity and death and adversity. You see there are only two choices. You come down further in this chapter to verse 19, I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants. Jesus talked about the narrow gate and the broad gate, the narrow way and the broad way, the end in destruction and the end in life. He is just picking up in what the Old Testament challenged Israel before they ever entered the Promised Land as a nation. Choose life that you may live, enter the narrow gate and have life.

Turn over to Joshua 24:14, now therefore fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth. Verse 15, if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve. That last statement in verse 15, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. You see that same call to the nation, you must make a decision—the narrow gate, the broad gate; the narrow way, the broad way; life or destruction. Choose for yourselves whom you will serve.

Come over in the New Testament to John 10:9. He is talking here He is the good shepherd, He has the fold for the sheep and He protects the sheep. Verse 9, I am the door. If anyone enters through Me he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. That's the narrow gate. Turn over to John 14:6, Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me. Christianity is an exclusive religion, it excludes most people, it excludes the majority of people. Jesus was an exclusive teacher. The kingdom that He is going to establish on the earth will be exclusive, it will exclude most people. We say, that's not nice, but it's true. Now you have opportunity to come through the narrow gate and travel the road that will culminate in life and in the eternal kingdom that Christ will establish on the earth. But make no mistake about it, that's the only way to get there. There are some people who say, there are a lot of ways.

I've shared with you, years ago I was riding to a funeral in the hearse, taking the casket to the cemetery. And that always provides a good opportunity because the driver can't leave and he doesn't want to offend the preacher. So I asked him, you drive to many funerals and there are many funerals. Have you ever thought where you are going to be when you die. And he says, I think there are many ways to God and we're each traveling our own way but we're all going to end up in the same place. And I said to him, and I used his name because I knew him from previous times. So in other words you think it doesn't matter which road you travel or which direction you go, we'll all end up at the cemetery today, so turn around and go the other direction, let's take Interstate 80 toward Omaha because we're all going to end up at the same place, right? Well, no. What makes you think that everybody is going to go their own way and arrive in heaven? Do you know that the Bible says that is not true, there is only one way. That's what Jesus is talking about, He is the only way.

You come back to Matthew 7:13, He is the narrow gate. No one will come into the kingdom but through Him, no one will receive eternal life but through Him. And you'll note here the connection. It is a narrow gate and it is a narrow way, verse 14. The gate is small, the way is narrow. You travel on the road as a result of the gate you came in. Verse 13, the gate is wide, the way is broad. You don't come through the narrow gate and travel the broad way, you don't go through the broad gate and travel the narrow way. It is a package, if you will. You enter the broad gate, you travel the broad way and that's only going one place—destruction. You enter the narrow gate, you travel the narrow way and that's only going one place—life. It's just that simple, just that clear.

So Jesus is addressing these Jews and they understand clearly here. They are choosing. Are they going to life, to the kingdom? Or are they going to go to destruction? You say there are a lot of ways. Yes there are a lot of way, but you understand it can be narrowed down to two—the narrow gate, the narrow way that leads to life; and everything else. That's why it's a broad gate, it encompasses everything else. And that way is a broad way because it encompasses everything else. And the end is the same. The whole thing here is about destiny because the whole issue is who is going into the kingdom. Well we started out the Sermon on the Mount with the beatitudes and the blessedness of those who are going to go into the kingdom. And they end up being salt and light in the world. But you understand not everybody is going. You have to have a righteousness greater than that of the scribes and Pharisees. In fact, the scribes and the Pharisees are not going to end up in life, they haven't entered the narrow gate, they aren't traveling the narrow way. They are on the road to destruction.

Go to Matthew 16, the narrow way. You know there are different illustrations used by Christ of this, they all make the same point. Verse 24, then Jesus said to His disciples, if anyone wishes to come after Me he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. That's saying you must take the narrow gate and travel the narrow way. They are inseparably linked together. You take up your cross, recognize your sin, you turn from your sin and place your faith in the Savior and you become a follower of Christ. You take up your cross and you follow Him. You've come through the narrow gate, now you travel the narrow way. Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul or what will a man give in exchange for his soul. Now note this, for the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels and then He will repay every man according to his deeds. He's talking about when He comes to establish His kingdom, you see. And who will go into the kingdom? Those who don't want to take up their cross and follow Him, when the Son of Man returns in His glory there will be a sifting judgment. Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The Jews are well aware that the kingdom would be preceded by a time of judgment to determine who is going into the kingdom and who is not. Another way to say take up your cross and follow Me. And what do you gain if you choose not to do it? _________________ gains the whole world and loses his own soul? What will a man give in exchange for his soul? What will you do when the Son of Man returns in glory and you stand before Him to be judged and oh no, it was too costly, I didn't think it was worth it to go through the narrow gate, to travel the narrow way. I didn't think it was worth it to pick up my cross and follow you. Too costly. How do you measure that? Eternity is before you now and there is no going back. You've been on the road to destruction, not on the road to life.

Turn over to Philippians 1. Destruction. We're talking about the doom of hell and we're not going to do an elaboration on hell. Isn't it interesting, people like to talk about God's love, they like to talk about heaven. But they get very agitated when you want to talk about sin, judgment and hell. But this is what God talks about, both. Verse 27, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. It's talking about our conduct on the narrow road and those who have entered the narrow gate, now we conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ which has brought us our salvation. You come down to verse 28, in no way alarmed by your opponents, those who oppose the message of the gospel, the narrow gate, the narrow way, which is a sign of destruction for them. The same word, the broad gate, the broad way that leads to destruction. Those who oppose the gospel and those who give out the gospel, those who are living a life consistent with the gospel, those who oppose that are revealing, it's an evidence of their destruction. But of salvation for you and that from God. We sometimes wonder, and I don't know what the end of this is, it will never end.

Just finished a biography by an evangelical leader who passed away 25-30 years ago. And the whole purpose of his life was to try to be the kind of scholar that would be accepted in the unbelieving world. Is the unbeliever going to say good things about us? Admire us? Want to be like us? The very opposition of the unbeliever is a sign of our salvation and their opposition to the gospel, and those who have been changed by the gospel is a sign of their destruction.

Look at Philippians 3:17, Paul says, brethren, join in following my example and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. When you enter the narrow gate you are now on a narrow road. Some people like to think you place your faith in Christ and that doesn't necessarily go anywhere, it's just a gate. But you don't necessarily travel a road just because you went through the gate. That's not what Jesus teaches, that's not what Paul teaches. Why does he say this? Verse 18, for many walk of whom I have often told you and now tell you even weeping, they are enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction. There is our word. We're not going to take the time now, but if we'd go to the book of Revelation, we'd find in Revelation 14 that this destruction involves the smoke of their torment ascending before God forever and ever, into the ages of the ages. We find in Revelation 20 that this destruction is being cast into the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, where they are tormented forever and ever. Their end is destruction, their god is their appetite, they glory in their shame, they set their minds on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. You say, we're proud and arrogant, we're better than other people. No, not at all. True salvation humbles you. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Recognize my unworthiness, my guilt before a holy God, and yet in mercy He cleansed me when I called upon Him. I placed my faith in His Son as my Savior and He forgave me and made me new. And all the glory is to be given to Him. But there is a contrast, one on the road to destruction, one on the road to life.

Turn over to II Peter 3, then we have to move on. This is one of the most awful messages of the Word of God, but it's one of the most important. That we are sinners, that the wages of sin is death, that there is an eternal hell. But you know what? Put in the context of God's Word, there is salvation. But you understand it is very narrow. There is no other name under heaven, given among men whereby we must be saved. Nowhere in the whole world is there another person in whom there is found salvation, other than Jesus Christ. That's it. But Jesus Christ is a Savior who will save all who will turn from their sin and believe in Him. So it's narrow. There is only one Savior, but it will include all who will believe in Him.

Look in II Peter 3:7, but by His word the heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. I realize this message has been preached for thousands of years but verse 9, the Lord is not slow about His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But some won't. Look down in verse 16, talking about the writings of Paul, the scripture. Which the untaught and unstable distort as they do the rest of scripture to their own destruction. Destruction, that's the end of those who will not turn from their sin and place their faith in Christ, will not believe the word that God has given.

So come back to Matthew 7. We live in a day of opinion polls. All you do is turn on the news and they want to tell you the latest opinion poll. Is the President being a success or not? Well if 52% are still supportive, that's good. But if only 49% are, that's bad. It's just opinion polls, opinion polls, opinion polls. We have them among evangelicals and in the church. They take opinion polls of professing believers to find out their opinion. You know what? The majority are always wrong. That's what Jesus said. Matthew 7:13, there are many who enter through the broad gate and travel the broad way. Verse 14, the small gate, the narrow way leads to life. Few there are who find it. Every time you take a poll on spiritual things, biblical truth loses out in numbers. Why? The majority are on the broad road going to destruction. We have the Moral Majority. That's not the same as the saved minority, you understand. Believers just would like to be part of something bigger. How much bigger can it get than our God? We sing about the greatness of our God and so on, but we just like to have some way to say the majority is on our side. They are not, that's a delusion. Do we believe the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 7:13-14? There are many on the broad road, few on the narrow road? So we're not influenced by the polls.

All right, where does this lead us? Verse 15, beware of the false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. In this section verses 15-20 are a unit because you see they are bracketed here. Verse 16, you will know them by their fruits; verse 20, you will know them by their fruits. That's the point of verses 15-20. False prophets and how are you going to know who is genuine and who is not, because there are many encouraging people to travel the broad road, trying to prevent people from entering the narrow gate and traveling the narrow road. Beware of the false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Now these false prophets in sheep's clothing, we're not talking about the pagan gods of Rome, those who worship Zeus or some other god of the pantheon of gods that the Romans were happy with. The Romans didn't mind your having all kinds of gods, but they were adamantly opposed to your saying you had the only true God. That's like people today. They don't have a problem with whatever your God, whatever your form of worship is, but it really antagonizes them when you tell them this is the only way of salvation, there is only one true God. It's the God of the Christian, it's the God of the Bible, it's the God that you can come to know through His Son, Jesus Christ, and no other way.

These false prophets are those who come disguised as genuine. They were like the Pharisees, the scribes, other false teachers and false prophets in Israel. They're dressed up like genuine followers of the living God. I mean the Pharisees claimed to be representatives of the God of Israel, the only true and living God. Yet Jesus said if you don't have a righteousness greater than the scribes and Pharisees, you're not going into the kingdom. They are unsaved, unregenerate people. Beware of the false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing. Inwardly they are ravenous wolves. This is their character, their false teaching, they are false prophets.

This is not new. The Old Testament prophets constantly had to confront the false prophets and warn the people. Come back to Jeremiah 6. This was never a popular message in Israel. Quite frankly it's not a popular message in the church of Jesus Christ today. We like to talk about we are all to be one, we don't have to emphasize our differences, let's emphasize what we agree on. All that kind of mushy softness that blurs the issue. Jeremiah 6:10, to put it into context, behold the word of the Lord has become a reproach to them. They have no delight in it. Why? Their ears are closed, they cannot listen. Verse 13, from the least of them even to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for gain. From the prophet to the priest, everyone deals falsely. They have healed the brokenness of my people superficially saying, peace, peace. But there is no peace. Verse 15 says they were not even ashamed at all, they didn't know how to blush. Verse 16, thus says the Lord, stand by the way. See and ask for the ancient paths, for the good way and walk in it and you will find rest for your souls. You see, the false prophets come and preach peace, peace. But there is no peace because Isaiah 48 says there is no peace, says my God, to the wicked. But what do false prophets do? They play down the message of sin, they play down the message of judgment, they play down any talk of hell. Our God is a God of love, He is a God of mercy. I mean we have differences, but do you think God is cruel enough to send people as sincere and earnest they are to hell? _________ __________________ You understand in the evangelical church today if you follow any of it, one of the greatest battles going on within evangelicalism, that's supposedly the group that claims to believe the Bible is the Word of God and live in obedience to it. The big discussion is over substitutionary atonement. And the major movement now that is denying that Jesus Christ dies as a substitute for our sin. And yet they claim to be within the realm of evangelicals. How can there even be any discussion here? But there is. And false prophets come and they are in sheep's clothing and people say, I know them, I know they are genuine believers, I know they have a heart for the Lord. How do you know? You know how you know? By their fruits you will know them, not by your emotional feeling in your heart or mind. We as Christians go to mush, we don't want to have to deal with their teaching is contrary to the Word of God but I know they are good people, they have helped me. So? The butcher has helped me, the people at the car wash help me. We just ignore what Christ says because our feelings overwhelm us now. I don't know about the teaching, that's a little confusing to me but I know ........... The church, just like Israel, destroyed by people coming and saying it's all right, it's all right. We're genuine, we just believe we ought to emphasize the good things and the peace and the love, not always be beating people down and making them feel bad. And who wants to go to church and hear about hell, anyway? Life is difficult enough. You think it doesn't happen in evangelical churches? A new church started in another state by a former member because the new pastor came with some of the teaching I'm sharing with you. The elders think it's great, people are coming, they like to hear it. They want to hear what they want to hear. And so the church gets split and on and on it goes.

Go to Jeremiah 8:9, the wise men are put to shame, they are dismayed and caught. Behold they have rejected the word of the Lord and what kind of wisdom do they have? Doesn't matter if they are biblical scholars. If they are twisting or distorting or denying any of the Word of God, what kind of wisdom do they really have? Verse 11, they heal the brokenness of the daughter of My people superficially saying, peace, peace. But there is no peace. We're back again, they were not ashamed, they didn't know how to blush. God's people ought to be totally embarrassed that such teaching is going on, the shame that they tolerate it.

Look over in Jeremiah 23, I've limited this to Jeremiah because of time. Verse 16, thus says the Lord of hosts, do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you. They are leading you into futility, they speak of vision of their own imagination, not from the mouth of the Lord. They keep saying to those who despise me, the Lord has said you will have peace. And for everyone who walks in the stubbornness of their own hearts they say calamity won't come upon you. The most popular preachers of our day, you can turn on the TV and hear some of them. That's what they are saying, God has good things for you. I know it's hard now but God will bring a blessing in your life, He has good things for you. Liar. Tell people that are on their way to hell that God has good things for them, that peace, peace. The people that live in the stubbornness of their hearts? Well that's Israel.

Come to Acts 20. God tells the elders of the church at Ephesus in verse 28, be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you. What do we have? These ravenous wolves in sheep's clothing, Jesus is talking. What does Paul say is going to happen in the church at Ephesus? Savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. From among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, seeking to draw away the disciples after them, lure them off and away, bring them into confusion, disarray.

The seminary I attended, these kinds of false teachers got in on the faculty. Before it was all said and done the seminary was destroyed. How did this happen? Well, he helped my family, I know he is a good person. How are we going to know? By their fruits, what they teach and how they live. That's all we can deal with. Are they genuine believers or are they not? I'll leave that with the Lord, although in light of what He says the evidence is they are not. We want to make it, well I know they are good people, I know they have good intentions. It will come up again here. We've been here before, we will be here again. You say, you're a pessimist. No, I'm a biblicist. What did he say about the church at Ephesus? Even though he had poured his life into that church and sent Timothy there to minister and wrote them a letter and Jesus addressed a letter to them in Revelation 2, there will be false prophets among you and false teachers among you, ravenous wolves. It will happen. And you know what happened? They'll want to draw away disciples. I know this person, he's a good person and he taught our class and he did this and he helped me. If they are teaching contrary to the Word of God, they have to be dealt with. If their life is not in accord with what the scripture says it has to be, they have to be dealt with. We like to make it a blurry issue and say we can't see their heart, we don't know for sure. But we see what they are teaching, we see how they are living. By their fruits you will know them. That's the basis we use. If I don't do that I have come into disobedience and rebellion against God also and so the devil brings disorder, confusion in the church where it ought not to be.

We'll go to one other passage, II Corinthians 11, I know these are familiar. Verse 3, Paul's concern for the church at Corinth. I am afraid as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully. They were tolerant, they prided themselves. Even though I have different convictions, I can be open enough to accept you as a fellow believer, even though I disagree with what you teach.

I've been reading this past week about a man I admire, died in 1900. But he got into that same trap. He has firm convictions, his writings are helpful, but when it came time to the fellowship of churches he was part of, he says, I can be broader. That's devastating that he would allow false teaching to come in.

Down to verse 13, such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. Even satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds. They are going to destruction.

Come back to Matthew 7, we'll wrap it up by just reading through what Jesus said. Verse 16, you will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thornbushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, the bad trees bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So you will know them by their fruits. Do you get it? People say, you are so narrow, you are so black-and-white. What are you going to do? Good trees don't bear bad fruit, bad trees don't bear good fruit. That's about as stark a contrast as you get. We like to make a blurry gray area, so here we can't tell for sure.

The professor at a Bible college, one from our number was there. He said, this is what our pastor, referring to me. Well the problem with Gil is, he's too black-and-white in this day, life is just not black-and-white like that. No, but scripture is. I mean, we talk about our conviction, that the Bible is the word of God and this is what we believe and then somehow we take our glasses off and all of you look a lot better. No. But everything has gone blurry, and I don't have any idea ............. But we turn the light of the Word of God on it and now it comes clear again. We like to pretend it's not that clear, I mean, I don't want to think my kids or grandkids are not saved. I like to think, I know they made a decision, they entered the narrow gate, somehow they just ended up on the broad road. I don't think so. Who are you to judge? Didn't you read judge not that you be not judged? Yes, but I went on and read the rest of the sermon. Don't stop with chapter 6, go on to chapter 7. I don't say this to be mean, these are serious matters. The road ends where it ends. For me to want to pretend that somebody on the broad is really on the narrow road and is going to end up in life doesn't change the fact they are on the broad road, does it. If I like to pretend they went through the narrow gate even though they are on the broad road, it won't change the fact they are going to end in destruction. This is too serious to act like I'm being nice, I just want to feel better. That's not the goal, the goal is to be truthful. I need to say something is wrong. Jesus said good trees don't bear bad fruit.

I get concerned at some of the things I read from professors in evangelical seminaries. How can they teach what is contrary to the Word of God and really be a believer? I really get concerned that that school has been infiltrated by wolves in sheep's clothing. I am amazed at how much theology the devil knows. A life that is not lived according to the Word of God, something is wrong.

We're not done with this because Jesus is going on to emphasize it. It's like He hammers this home. Any wonder people quote the first part of the Sermon on the Mount without understanding it, they'll quote the middle with judge not that you be not judged, but they don't even know that there is a conclusion to the Sermon where Jesus really drives home the most important point of all—who is going to go into the kingdom. You understand most are not, you understand most are not going to receive life. What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? You know the Son of Man is coming in glory and then He will exercise judgment. There will be no games. That's when Jesus Christ is going to say, many people are going to say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, we did great things in your name. And He's going to say, I never knew you. Depart from Me, cursed ones, into hell prepared for the devil and his angels.

It is a discouraging message, I find the hope in it, there is a Savior. The solution is not to preach about sin. Don't preach about hell, don't preach about judgment. The solution is to recognize there is a Savior, you don't have to go to hell, you don't have to travel the broad way. There is a gate, it's narrow but it's all you need. You'll fit through fine, all you have to do is recognize you are a sinner and Jesus Christ is the only Savior. And turn from your sin and place your faith in Him and He cleanses you, forgives you, makes you new. Now you belong to Him, you travel with Him on the narrow road. And that ends in life.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for our salvation. Thank you that you are a God of love, a God of mercy, kindness, patience. Lord, we have experienced your salvation, are testimonies of the greatness of your grace. Lord, the reality of it is most people have rejected that grace, most people have gone through the broad gate and are traveling the broad way and it will end in destruction because you the eternal God have declared that it will be so. Lord, may these be days of salvation, may we examine ourselves to be sure we are in the faith. Then may we be bold and clear as we talk with others about the message of salvation and the only alternative which is condemnation. Thank you for your grace, thank you that we can be lights in the midst of darkness in these days. We praise you in Christ's name, amen.