The Narrow Path
Website Editor • July 8, 2020
"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’" - Matthew 7:13-23
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’" - Matthew 7:13-23
From Pastor Ryan Lewis's message on Matthew 7:13-23:
Ultimately, we have one choice: we can choose God or not.
For all humankind, this means life or death; heaven or hell; an eternity with God or an eternity without Him.
Most people choose the latter.
The truth is, there are two gates and two paths and only one leads to eternity. The narrow gate is hard to find and most people miss it -- therefore, we must be intentional in finding it -- but entering through it is easy. (See: Romans 10:9, John 3:16-17)
It's the path ahead that's hard.
If a person truly loves Jesus with all their heart, soul, and mind, they will walk this narrow path purposefully. This means denying oneself daily and being obedient to the Word. It is not a comfortable path. It is full of trials and persecution. It does not promise earthly health or financial security. But it does promise something so much greater: God, Himself.
Jesus warns us in this to beware of false teachers, those who come to us in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. How can we discern these false teachers? Jesus tells us to pay attention to their fruit. Only healthy trees bear good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bead fruit.
A prevalent example of this is the prosperity gospel. Though prosperity teachers might say they come in the name of Jesus, they proclaim a message of health, financial security, and ease of life. These things are not the gospel! This is not the truth that Jesus died on the cross for. Teachers of this type are not meek or poor in spirit; the fruit of their teaching is disease. True teachers contend for the gospel and are not afraid to tell you the hard things. True teachers center their message around Christ and what He did for us on the cross. False teachers center their message around the human experience and how to be a "better you".
Unfortunately, this type of teaching is appealing to many. In 1 Timothy 4:3, Paul says, "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions."
Not everyone who thinks they know Jesus actually knows Him. And as He proclaims in verse 23, those who don't know Jesus won't spend eternity with Him.
This is a dire warning to us and we must check ourselves… when you get to the gates of Heaven, what will you say to get in? Will you talk about how you spent time on the mission field and attended church every Sunday and led a Bible study? If so, you are relying on what you have said or done instead of what Jesus has done for you.
Romans 10:9 says, "If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
Author J.D. Greear explains it well, "Salvation is not a prayer you pray one time and then move on from. Salvation is a posture of repentance and faith that you begin in a moment and maintain for the rest of your life. Salvation does indeed happen in a moment, and once you are saved, you are always saved. The mark, however, of someone who is saved is that they maintain their confession of faith until the end of their lives."
If we truly know Jesus, we will walk with Him on the narrow path.
This path looks like complete obedience to Him. It means dying to oneself daily and cultivating a lifestyle of repentance. We accept that nothing we could ever do could make us worthy. Yet, when we were sinners, Christ loved us so much He died for us. And three days later, He came back to life and resurrected us with Him.
His love, His mercy, His grace are beyond our comprehension.
So, we walk with Him in love. We do whatever He asks of us. We believe and trust in him knowing His path is the only one that leads to life.
Watch this sermon, here.
Notes from Lance Shumake's sermon on Sunday, July 20, 2025. Sermon text: 2 Peter 1:1-2 Peter is warning us about counterfeit teaching and false teachers The genuine gospel came from Jesus through His apostles —servant (humility and honor) —apostle (called, unique, sent) The genuine gospel is just as precious to us today —received and believed “How does someone become a Christian? One person might say, ‘Because I believe,’ and another, ‘Because God chose me.’ According to Peter, both ways of stating it are correct. On the one hand, we believe. It is a fundamental definition of a Christian that he or she is a ‘believe-er’; that he or she ‘has faith’ But Peter also knows that it is not our feeble faith that holds us close to God. It is God who does all the holding, and that is the reality behind the word received.” —R. C. Lucas and Christopher Green, The Message of 2 Peter & Jude The genuine gospel is centered on the person and work of Jesus —God —Savior —Christ —Lord “This fourfold description of Jesus is important because it puts him at the focal point of human history. As God, he guarantees that his words and his works cannot be replaced or revoked; as Christ, he fulfills all the Old Testament promises; as Savior, he died on the cross for our salvation in the past, present and future; and as Lord he claims the right to our individual love and obedience—notice how Peter calls him our Lord.” —R. C. Lucas and Christopher Green, The Message of 2 Peter & Jude The genuine gospel transforms us as we grow in knowledge of Jesus —grace and peace multiplied Discipleship Questions: Why is false teaching so dangerous? How does remembering and focusing on the true gospel help us stand against false teaching? In what ways is the gospel just as precious to us as it was to the apostles? How do you relate to Jesus as God, Savior, Christ, and Lord? What is the difference between knowing about Jesus and knowing Him?
Notes from Zach Snow's sermon on Sunday, July 13, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 5:8-14 Why is the lion roaring? Wouldn’t it be a better strategy to be quiet…subtle…sneaky, in an attempt to “devour” Christians? I think that Peter, led by the Holy Spirit, was very intentional with his description here of the devil being a roaring lion. Went into a rabbit hole on a lion's roar…there are some spiritual applications to these: Can reach up to 114 decibels…almost as loud as a jet engine taking off They roar for social reasons (territory, create bonds, locate other members of their pride) as well as for purposes of intimidation. One of the primary purposes of the lion's roar is to strike fear in the heart of their prey. The lion will always start with a psychological advantage Fear, anxiety, depression, anger, hatred - these things can absolutely paralyse you spiritually The lion is not necessarily trying to kill you, but to destroy your faith Prayer: Be sober-minded - Have a clear and self disciplined mind - Titus 2 Exercise self control in thoughts, words, and action this is the 3rd time Peter has said this to us in 1 Peter - 1:13, 4:7 - it’s a call to remain alert and focused Being sober-minded means waging war against the things that are detrimental to the mind: fear, hatred, anxiety, depression, anger I believe these are specific things the enemy uses to derail our mental health and cause us to take our guard down Be watchful - this is the same word that Jesus used in the garden before he was arrested and crucified - this is a call to pray Prayers for others - Eph. 6:18 - Ephesians 6:18 - [18] praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, Prayers for yourself - James 1:5 - 5 j If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. So here’s the question… Do you believe in prayer? How much do you trust that God can do the things that you are not able to do? Do you trust God with the big stuff AND the small stuff? Discipleship Questions: 1.) In your personal life, what does being sober minded and watchful look like to you? 2.) Who are the people who help you stand firm in your faith the most? 3.) As a CG look at each of the points of the Theology of Suffering and find Scripture to support each one of those statements: God is ALWAYS good God is ALWAYS enough God will ALWAYS love you 4.) Discuss ways that the God of all grace has restored, confirmed, strengthened, and established you.
Notes from Scott Sutton's sermon on Sunday, July 6, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 5:5-7 Main Idea: God opposes the proud This is a warning that should shake our souls. There is a way of living that draws God’s opposition. Proverbs 3:34 "Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor" "Be not wise in your own eyes." Garden Connection. No guidance. No exaltation. No refreshment in our souls. God gives grace to the humble The grace of guidance The grace of peace that exceeds understanding The grace of lifted burdens God cares for us Application: You who are younger, be subject to the elders Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God Consider what it means to place yourself under the mighty hand of God! It is to lay hold of the reality that God is actively involved in the details of your day. It is to surrender the false and flawed thinking that we are in control. Cast your anxieties on God Being told, "Don't be anxious," can often feel the same as being told, "Don't be tall... or short.... or bald...." Some may say, "That's just who I am..." "One cannot truly humble oneself under God’s protection while racked with fear. Handing over fear to God and humbling oneself under his mighty hand happen together." -Barnett Anxiety is a form of pride Discipleship Questions: Why should we tremble at the reality that there is a way of living that draws the opposition of God? Anyone want to share about experiencing this? How would we know if God was opposing us? What are some things that will be seen in a life that is truly marked by humility? What is the difference between trying to do humble things and clothing ourselves in humility? What are the specific burdens/cares/anxieties that you are carrying that you need to cast upon the Lord? What are some actual action steps that would indicate that we are casting our anxieties on God? Why is anxiety a form of pride? How does humility change our relationships? Recount the deeds of the Lord! What are some ways that God has cared for you and your loved ones?
