The Narrow Way

Today I'm bringing to you a teaching that is so important. I believe it's one of the most important teachings I have brought to you in a long time on the narrow way because the Lord spoke of the narrow way in the gospels and we need to understand what that means.

He's calling us to holiness, to righteousness, to a life that is holy. And the Bible is very clear on what a Christian really is. And let's look at the word of God together today. Thank you for being with me. And please share this teaching with people that you know because this is such a needed teaching today.

And dear wonderful Jesus, I thank you for your word now. Wonderful Lord, open our hearts, open our eyes that we might behold wondrous things out of your word. And yes, Lord, speak to every single one today through your word and touch every heart in Jesus wonderful name. And God's people said, "Amen and amen."

I want to read with you Matthew 7. Let's all go together to Matthew 7 and open your Bible and let's read together. And I have the Jackson with us today to help us read the word also. Matthew 7 verse 13 and 14. Enter in the straight gate. The word straight here means narrow.

For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadth to destruction and many there be which go in there at. Because straight is the gate and narrow is the way which leadth unto life and few there be that find it. Um I don't know how many sermons you've heard on that.

I don't know how many sermons you've heard on that. When I was growing up I heard very few myself. Today you hear almost none. So, in the sermon on the mount, which we're going to go to in Matthew 5 right now, the Lord describes in details what the narrow way is.

And we begin by looking at verse 3 through 11, which we're going to read together. Because what we see here is the Lord describing in details the inward state the inward state of those who belong to him. So we just read Matthew 7. Well, the Lord made it very clear that we're to enter in at the straight gate because wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction.

And he said, "Many there be which go in there at there'll be many will go in the wide way that leads to destruction because straight is the gate and narrow is the way which leads unto life. and few few there be that find it. So we're going to go together to Matthew chapter 5 now and we're going to begin reading at verse three because this shows and the Lord is describing in details here the inward state of the individuals that belong to his kingdom.

So he begins by saying, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." And that is those who are mourning over their sins, who repent. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

And then he says in verse 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." So in this portion from verse 3 to to 11, the Lord is giving us the details of the inward state of those who love him and those who belong to him.

Now as we read verse 13 and 16, which you're going to read for us, the Lord is describing the outward conduct. the outward conduct that will identify those who belong to his kingdom. >> Yeah. >> So from verse 3 to 11, he is identifying those who belong to the kingdom. >> But he's telling us now who are they?

How do you how do you how do you identify them? >> Yeah. >> And that's in verse 13 through 16. >> Sir, >> let's read. Ye are the salt of the earth. But if the salt ha have lost its savior, wherewith shall >> the savor means the aroma, >> huh? >> The flavor, >> wherewith shall it be salted?

Keep keep going. >> It is thenforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot of men. >> Notice that the Lord calls those who belong to his kingdom the salt of the earth. They are the ones who preserve their own life and help others to preserve their life in his kingdom and holiness. >> And then verse 14, >> ye are the light of the world. >> And now that's a very powerful thing.

So, not only are you the salt of the earth that you're preserving >> Yeah. >> light and holiness and righteousness, you're keeping it in your life. >> Yeah. >> But now you're the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Keep reading through verse 16.

Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick. It means you're you're giving witness of your light to the world >> and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. >> Verse 16, >> let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven. >> Amazing that he calls this group children of the father.

Yeah. >> Your father. Why? You're the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. Now it's time that they see your light. Let your light shine before men. So how do you know that this individual and soul uh belongs to the kingdom? >> By salt and by light. >> By salt and by light they are identified.

Salt preserves and light exposes. The light of the world leads. Jesus is the light of the world. We follow the light of the world. Where there's light, there's no darkness. Where there's salt, there's preservation. We keep what we have. We don't lose it. >> Okay. Now um he now in verse 17- 28 he begins to describe the personal righteousness that God's justice demands from those who are the salt of the earth >> who are the light of the world.

So he's really giving us the narrow way. >> Yeah. The narrow way is well here's who belongs to my kingdom which we just read beginning at verse 3-1 in Matthew 5. >> Here's how you identify them. Verse 13- 16 of Matthew 5. Now he's giving us the personal u details. is describing the the personal righteousness of their life that God's justice demands.

He's he's looking at at details of their life that are important to look at. So he says in verse 17- 28, "Think not that I'm come to destroy the law or the prophets. I'm not come to destroy but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass.

One jot or one tit shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men, so he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

For I say unto you that accept your righteousness. Now, he's telling us that those that uh are fulfilling God's demands are living according to the law. fulfilling the law by the spirit. >> Yeah. >> And we'll explain that in just a moment. For I say in verse 20, he says unto you that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

You've heard it. And now he's he's explaining what that means, >> right? Okay. Now, he's he's he's saying to us now, here's what I mean. Here's how uh how how you you exceed you go beyond the the the scribes who obey every letter, who obey every detail. You've heard it was said by them of old, "Thou shalt not kill."

So, the law said, "Don't kill. and whoever shall kill shall be in danger of judgment. But I say, whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause. Now that that's going beyond the Pharisees. >> Yeah. >> The Pharisees and the Sadducees and so on. Well, they obeyed, thou shalt not kill.

But he says you have to go beyond that. And what is beyond that? If you're angry with your brother without a cause, you'll be in danger of the judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother Raqqa, and that word means empty head, literally in Hebrew, Aram, >> shall be in danger of the council.

And whosoever will will say, "Thou fool," shall be in danger of hellfire. That's going way beyond the Pharisees, >> right? That's being literally convicted by the spirit on how you speak and what you say. Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar and the remembrance that thy brother has ought against thee, leave there, it says, I'm going to read right through verse 28.

Leave it says your gift before the altar and go your way first to reconcile with your brother and then come and offer your gift. That's way beyond what the Pharisees did. Agree with your enemy. Agree with an adversary quickly while thou art in the way with him. Lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge and the judge deliver thee to the officer and thou be cast into prison.

Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out then still thou hast paid the uttermost father. You've heard it said now again he's still explaining what he means by exceed the righteousnesses of those who did obey the law. >> Yeah, >> you've heard it was said them of old, thou shalt not commit adultery.

But I say to you, whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. So he's giving us something something incredible here. The the the righteousness that God's justice demands >> is way beyond the law. >> Yeah. Now he gives us something remarkable here in verse 29 and 30.

He defines the utter rejection, the utter refusal of sin that is required from God's people. And he says in verse 29 and 30, "And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, cast it from thee. For it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

If thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee. It is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. Now I'm I'm going to explain this. So high are the demands of God, so holy, so uncompromising are the requirements of his indescribable character.

Holy God. In fact, indescribable holiness. It says that none can dwell with him eternally that will not in time loathe sin. No one is will be allowed to dwell with God eternally who will not resist sin. No one can dwell with God eternally who will not turn away from all that is repulsive to God's pure eyes.

What is repulsive to God's eyes? I want you to think about what I'm saying. So nothing short nothing short of the complete denying of self the abandoning of the dearest idol. Please hear my heart. Please. the forsaking of the most cherished sinful course. And here it's it's used by the Lord representing the cutting off of the right hand and plugging out of the right eye.

Because what that means is uh we we we we have to deny self. We we we have to abandon the idols that people hold so dear. We have to to forsake the most cherished uh sinful desires in life because God's eyes are so pure. that he will not allow anyone to dwell with him whose eyes are not like his.

And so Jesus says, "If your right eye offends you, take it out. If your right hand offends you, take it out." That's a uh he's he's he's using a uh a figure like he's representing what he's trying to say >> about God's holiness. This is the straight and narrow way.

I've just described it. So the Lord in in Matthew 5 is giving us because if you break it down like this, you see exactly what the narrow way is. The narrow way verse 13 and 14 in in Matthew 7 says this is what God wants us to choose.

Then in Matthew 5 he says now this is what will identify those who who are in it and then Matthew 5:13-16 and so on. So Matthew 3 5:31 Matthew 5:13-16 Matthew 5:17-28 are are showing us clear examples of the narrow way. And then in verse 29 and 30, God is giving us the the the high demands the the the the requirements because of his indescribable character of holiness that nobody can dwell with him who will not in time.

God gives us time to loathe sin. God gives us time to resist sin. God gives us time to turn away from all that is repulsive to his pure eyes. And so Jesus says, "If your right eye offends you, pluck it out." He's not meaning physically. He's trying to explain God's holiness that we have to to deny self, abandon the dearest idols in our hearts and forsake the most cherished sins of our life.

And so he says, "Whatever represents this world, cut it off." So I'm going to continue tomorrow, but I have one thing to say. The Lord plainly declared that the gate to life is narrow, very narrow. Yet he said he's saying to us, it's our duty to find it.

It's our duty to walk in it. Um, tomorrow I want to deal with something quite powerful. Jesus is the door to that way. Because he said in John, I am the door to what? He's the door to that. And I want to show you that a gate serves two purposes.

What does a gate serve? So Jesus says, "Enter through that gate." Well, a gate number one uh lets people in. Number two, shuts them out. So, we'll talk about that tomorrow. And there's a lot I want to say about this, but I want to say this to you as your brother.

Let's all finish better than when we started. Please. Let's all live a holy life. Let's not be distracted by the world and all it offers. The confusion, the chaos, the fil. The filth, the filthy language we hear around us, even from people in authority. I'm being so real with you.

It's so offensive. I so loathe it. I so hate it. I don't want to hear it. Today on TV screens, you you you hear people say the most powerful. Why? Because the world we live in is getting filthier and filthier and filthier and nobody's speaking out. I don't want to have to get any give any more details.

I think any anybody with ears and eyes knows what I'm talking about. The world has become more corrupt than ever. But we as Christians, we as God's children, God's people, we have we have a duty to let our light shine in this dark world. And how can our light shine unless we do exactly what the Lord said?

Loa sin. Reject it. Refuse it. Walk away from it. Deny it. Our God is too holy. His demands are holy. What an indescribable God we have. We You can't even describe his holiness. You cannot even describe his glory. You know why people are going back to the Catholic church?

You know why so many young people are going back to the Greek church and leaving the sac friendly churches? They're tired of all this what what be became them a mixture of a club and a church and one. So they're going back to structure. People want reverence. They want to revere the Lord.

They want to stand in awe of the Lord. You know, I grew up in Catholic schools. I went to mass when I was a little boy. I was taught one thing by those precious nuns. Reverence. Reverence towards the Lord. Later when I went to the Franciscan school and the monks now were in charge because first the nuns and then the monks they taught me reverence.

We got on our knees every morning. Every morning on on on very hard rocks may I may I say in Jaffat our school and we repeated the the creed every morning the Lord's prayer every morning. We were taught to revere the Lord and how grateful I am for my childhood.

And when I go to a church like that, like a Greek Orthodox or a Catholic church, I'm amazed that people rever still rever the Lord's presence. But today in many churches, charismatic Pentecostals, you think they're they're going to to a party or to the beach or to a picnic. >> There's no reverence anymore.

I'm sorry. I'm oldfashioned. I'm oldfashioned. I don't go for that stuff. Where is the reverence? And when you lose the reverence, when you call your pastor, bro, you've just lost the respect of the office of that man. Never ever lose respect for the office of a pastor. No matter what those priests, they stand up there with robes.

Speaks of reverence. People go up and take communion, the Eucharist, with reverence and get healed. More people are healed in a Catholic church than in a Pentecostal church. More people are healed on a Sunday morning during the eukarist during mass than there that are healed in a charismatic Pentecostal church or a Baptist church.

Why? Reverence for the Lord. Reverence for the Lord and God honors that. They revere communion. It's not just bread. It's not just juice or wine. It's his body. It's his body. He said, "This is my body." He didn't say it represented. He said, "This is my body." It's a holy moment.

And today, it's time to go back to the Bible. And I'm hearing all this amazing news, amazing news about the thousands of people going back to the old line churches because I see and I've said it even years ago. I said this see friendly stuff will not last long because they give motivational messages that don't really help at times of crisis.

At times of crisis they don't help at all. Oh, they can encourage you with little problems, but if the whole world was falling apart, we need Jesus. >> Amen. >> We We need Jesus. Not a little sermon on how you can make it. That's right. >> And how you can succeed and be victorious.

It's all about Jesus. Well, I had to say what I had to say today. I thank God for my Catholic upbringing. I thank God for the Greek Orthodox upbringing I had. I grew up Greek Orthodox. I was baptized by the patriarch of Jerusalem. That's why my name is Benny.

He gave me his name, Benedictus. Benedictus was the patriarch of Jerusalem back in the 50s and the 60s who baptized me and gave me his name. I'm grateful for that. And today I'm going back to my heritage. I'm going back to my beginnings. I want it cuz I got very tired of watching this display of cheap Christianity noise without power.

It's time we go back to the Bible. I'm going to finish well. I' I've made that decision. Are you? Are you? It's up to you. Oh yeah. That narrow away is a real command from heaven. Jesus said, "Strive to enter. Strive." You look up that word strive, it means fight.

It means more than that in Greek. It's the same what Paul said, fight the good fight of faith. It's the same word in Greek for strive. We fight. It means there's obstacles in front of us. We have to overcome them. When Jesus said strive to enter in, he was saying you have to fight.

You have to win against the obstacles. You have to overcome what the devil throws at you and the world throws at you. I have to I I'm I'm I'm burning with this. I'm burning with this. Join me tomorrow, please. And if I've offended you, it's all right. As long as I please the Lord, really all all I care about.

Really, as long as I please the Lord, that's all I care about. Love you. Thank you for your love, your prayers, your support. If you want to give to the Lord's work, it's there for you on the screen. Much love. I'll see you tomorrow. >> These are the last days.

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