Wednesday, January 12, 2022

          The greatest sermon ever preached was Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5-7.  It would not take long to read all three chapters.  It would take consider-able time, however, to reflect upon and meditate upon all that Jesus said.  Indeed, we could spend a lifetime thinking about these three chapters.  As He was approaching the end of His sermon, Jesus spoke these words, “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” (Matthew 7:13-14).  Some people refer to these verses as the “two ways.”  Jesus spoke about two gates, two roads, two ways and two destinations.  Deuces were wild!
            Jesus Himself is the gate that matters.  He is the narrow gate that leads to life.  You may recall that Jesus spoke of Himself as being the gate for the sheep in John 10:7. “I am the GATE for the sheep.”  Jesus is the GATE that leads us into a relationship with the Father.  The wide gate is practically every other way someone endeavors to relate to God (think good works, charitable giving, living a certain way, philosophy, religion, etc.).  Through Jesus we meet the Father and we come to know the Father. 
            Jesus is the road or the way.  Remember Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).  He is the sure way and certain way.  People walk a lot of different roads in life and they all lead to the same dead end.  The sole exception is Jesus.  His steps and path lead us to the Father, to heaven and to the gift of everlasting life.  We cannot make our own road or way to heaven.  We will fail every time.  But the good news is we do not have to chart our own course.  Jesus has come to be that course or way for us.  Our faith in Him places us on the right pathway.
            And Jesus is the destination.  We long to hear the words “Well done good and faithful servant.  Enter into the joy of the Lord” (Matthew 25:23).  We have no way of knowing when life on this earth comes to an end.  But life will end for each of us unless the Lord comes first for His people.  The way we end is determined by the manner in which we live each day.  We always live in view of eternity.  And we are always living with one destination in mind—seeing the face of Christ and being welcomed by Him into the place that He has prepared for us. 
            Jesus Himself said that not everyone finds the right gate, road, way and destination.  Indeed, “only a few find it.”  If you have placed your faith and hopes in exactly what Jesus has said, then give thanks to Him for making all things possible.  Perhaps you would take the next step and invite others to know Christ as you have come to know Him.  Day by day we have no more pressing business than to know Christ and to invite others to embrace Him as Savior, Lord and God.  When we go to be with the Lord someday, we want to have done everything possible and imaginable to take along as many people as possible with us.  We must make it our aim to spend less time on the trivial things of life and more time on the things that matter.  Knowing Jesus and introducing Him to others is a critical use of life and time.
            Begin praying for someone in your life to come to know Jesus as you have.  Ask yourself if you have come to know the Lord personally and directly.  Has there been a time when you released your life to Him and trusted Him to the exclusion of all other things and people?  The Lord can easily open pathways and doors where you can reach others with the gospel.  May our lives be doors, windows and pathways by which others see Christ and know Him.  Remember you can share our worship with others at youtube.com/FirstBaptistKannapolis.  We hope you can join us tonight for our mid-week, Wednesday activities.  And let’s all stay faithful in 2022 with our tithes, offerings and gifts.  Have a great Wednesday and may you enjoy the Lord today in great ways!