Sermon Central
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The True And False Way To Heaven
Contributed by Chris Gowen on Jan 13, 2002 (message contributor)
Summary: Millions of people will find disappointment on that final day because they trusted in their own works rather than Christ for salvation.
Warnings are very important. If your smoke detector goes off, it’s giving you a warning. If the lights on the dash of your car, or truck comes on, it’s a warning that something needs to be given attention. Sometimes those lights don’t mean a thing. You
may have driven a car for years and a warning light stays on whether the car is running okay, or not. It’s like the fire alarm where I work....when it comes on you don’t know whether to leave the building or stay. We’ve had so many false alarms. So you have to
make a decision whether to believe the alarm and take appropriate action, or to disregard the alarm and go on with your business.
There are warnings in the Bible. Every person must make a decision to believe the warnings and take the appropriate action. There is a warning given by Jesus in Matthew 7. It is a warning to folks who really think they are okay. There are millions of folks who really believe they are safe from the coming judgment. They have a false sense of security. It’s like when that huge oceanliner, the Titantic, was struck by an iceberg. It was a matter of a few hours and it would sink to the bottom of the ocean. Many people rejected the lifeboats thinking that they were more secure on the Titantic than the
lifeboats.
7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth
good fruit.
7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful
works?
7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
7:25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
7:26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
7:27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
7:28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
7:29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
In this last part of the chapter, we see the description of two ways, two types of people, two destinations, two gates, two kinds of trees, two kinds of fruit, two foundations with two kinds of builders. When it comes to making a choice as to where you spend eternity, there are only two options. It is heaven, or it is hell. A third option is not given.
When it comes to choosing the way to get to heaven, there is only two options. There is the right way, and then there is the wrong way. American culture does not want to accept this. Burger King caught on to what
Americans like so they came up with a catchy phrase, “have it your way”. When it comes to making preparation for heaven, you can’t do it your way. It is either God’s way, or it is the wrong way.
Jesus says in verse 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.”
I. There are two roads people are traveling to go to heaven: the BROAD way, and the NARROW way.
