Wednesday, August 17, 2011

The Narrow Door

Luke 13:22-30[1]  As preached at Rolling Hills Church on Sunday, August 14th, 2011

 

Today I am beginning a series of messages from the book of Luke entitled Journeying Toward Jerusalem. plan to preach from Luke 3:22 to Luke 17:10. Odd numbers because I am going from the second to the third announcement that Jesus going to Jerusalem. He set his face toward Jerusalem in Luke 9:51: When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. We will begin where Jesus mentioned for the second time that he was aiming at the worship center of Israel. Luke 13:22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. He knew where he was going, and he knew what he was walking into; in fact He told His disciples very plainly in Mark 10:33-34 saying, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise."

It enriches my soul year after year to read the direct words of our Lord in the gospels; how it must have been to walk with Him physically! We will follow our Lord on part of this journey, learning directly from Him about Himself, His kingdom, His call to believe, and His love for the lost. Now, let me tell you a story…

On October 28, 1998, a disastrous arson fire occurred during a Halloween party at a nightclub in Gothenburg, Sweden. There were an estimated 400 young people in attendance.

Normally [in Sweden], when an event to which tickets are sold is held, the fire brigade is notified to determine how many people will be allowed inside the occupancy. In this case, the fire brigade was never contacted, even though tickets had been sold. Survivors reported that the hall was so crowded that it was impossible to dance because people were standing shoulder-to-shoulder.

When it was over, 63 young people had died in the blaze; another 213 were injured, and 60 of those were taken to intensive care units, 13 to special burn units in Norway and Sweden. You see, the fire wasn't announced immediately when it was discovered. And the exit doors were far from sufficient for exiting a crowd of that size quickly, so by the time people realized the fire was real and dangerous, it was too late to get everyone out of the building safely[2]. We will come back to that in a little while: let's read our text for today

Luke: 13:22-30

22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem.

23 And someone said to him, "Lord, will those who are saved be few?" And he said to them,

24 "Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, open to us,' then he will answer you, 'I do not know where you come from.'

26 Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.'

27 But he will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!'

28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out.

29 And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God.

30 And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."

Here is the message I see from this Scripture: You better find the narrow door, and get through while it is open; it won't always be, and you don't man the door. Let's pray.

The thoughtful question: Will those who are saved be few? An unknown person asking a thoughtful question began this conversation. We don't know who asked it nor why they asked it, whether a follower or a scorner of Jesus. Perhaps the question was simple curiosity; perhaps it came from grave concern. Our Savior did not give a direct answer to this enquiry, states Matthew Henry, for "he came to guide men's consciences, not to gratify their curiosity".[3] Many think studying Revelation is fun, instead of challenging and terrifying. But regardless of who asked or why they asked, here is what they received instead of a direct answer…

The serious response: a series of warnings. Let's consider them together…

Don't wait until it's too late to seek to enter this door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. This failed idea of "I'll be my own god until I need the real God", or "I'll repent when I'm older and done with the fun" is a crock; you have no control of the future, or life, or death. You don't man the door. To think, "I'll believe next week" is an assumption, isn't it? It really is. To think, "I'll deal with this closet sin and unbelief soon" is an assumption, a foolish one. We have no guarantees of our present, much less our future. If you are here and don't know Christ, don't wait until it's too late to seek to enter this door. Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Strive to enter heaven by faith.

Don't assume you will get in because you're near. Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.' Proximity to Christ isn't faith in Christ. Being in and around church, around people of faith, being around true Christians will not make you right with God. With eternal life close isn't close enough; you must be IN the door, which means you personally must repent of your sin and believe in and follow Jesus.

Don't assume you will get in because you're related to those who got in. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. Family heritage or religious history isn't faith in Christ. In this case He spoke to Jews who were descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; they were people to whom God had made great covenant promises, and through whom God had brought the Messiah. Awesome history, awesome faith of some of their relatives; but they didn't believe Jesus, who was there before them. If we are Baptists, Methodists, or Catholics from a long line of the same, that doesn't save us. Even being AMERICAN won't save us; we have a high view of ourselves in this world, but that holds no credibility with a Holy God who hates sin; he doesn't care what nationality or language we ignore Him in.

Don't think your sins won't find you out. 27 But he will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!' All who work evil will hear, "Depart from me!" He sees, He knows, and He is just. This should cause us to fear, to fall on our faces before Him in true repentance, humbling confessing sin and trusting His good grace for pardon! That death Christ died on the cross is our only hope for forgiveness, for being made right with God. Most men who justify their sin grow hardened to is through rationalization, and often think that their evil deeds aren't really evil. God sees it differently, and He has the final say so about eternal life. There will be no escaping His just wrath except through faith in Christ, and that before it's too late.

Don't think hell is a game, a party, or a light sentence. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. It is just punishment for all who ignore Holy God, who do not worship Him in truth and in Spirit; it is eternal separation for all who reject Jesus Christ as Lord of their life and live by their own rules and codes. Don't assume God will do this or that because you heard it, learned it from someone, or developed it yourself – find out what God says about God, and about life and death.

In this series of warnings from our Lord, we learn to ask not, "How many shall be saved?" but rather, "Shall I be one of them?".

Don't think of yourself as first even if you get in. And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."

Here is a clear warning against pride as well as assuming your salvation is safe. Assuming about eternal life is just dangerous.

This word translated as strive in verse 24 gives us the root of the word agonize. It is elsewhere in the NT translated into fight, struggle, labor, and exercise. We are to fight and labor – not to be saved by works – but to believe that Jesus' death on the cross was sufficient to save, sanctify, justify, and glorify wicked sinners like me.

It's a thoughtful question; it's a serious response from our Lord, these warnings.

Listen; there was no warning sounded at that disco in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1998 when the fire was first noticed; the kids didn't begin desperately seeking the exits until the fire was already burning strong; for many, it was TOO late. For you, the warning has been sounded today.

You better find the narrow door, and get through while it is open; it won't always be, and you don't man the door.

If you are a Christian this is a strong reminder to live humbly, strengthen your faith in this God. He saves all who believe in Him.

If you are not a Christian, regardless of how close, how religious, or how good you think you are; if you are not saved, know that Jesus never turns away those who diligently seek Him. Today is the day of salvation; today is the day to strive for that narrow door, to fight to believe in Christ, to repent of your sin. In this same chapter Jesus told those who were following Him that they too would perish if they didn't repent (Luke 13:3, 5). To be saved you need to bow your head before God, turn from your sin, ask God to forgive you through death of Jesus; believe He is Lord, risen from the dead, then you leave here only to follow Jesus. You can do that right now.

 



[1] All Scriptures, unless otherwise noted, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (via E-Sword Software) © 2001 Crossway Publishing. All Rights Reserved. I paste them in red for distinction.

[3] Matthew Henry Bible Commentary, accessed as free shareware via http://live.e-sword.net/app/