Spoken at SGBC

11-30-97

Luke 108

13:23-30

Strive to enter the narrow door!

(Luke 13:22-30 NASB) And He was passing through from one city and village to another, teaching, and proceeding on His way to Jerusalem. {23} And someone said to Him, "Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?" And He said to them, {24} "Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. {25} "Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, 'Lord, open up to us!' then He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know where you are from.' {26} "Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets'; {27} and He will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you are from; DEPART FROM ME, ALL YOU EVILDOERS.' {28} "There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth there when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being cast out. {29} "And they will come from east and west, and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God. {30} "And behold, some are last who will be first and some are first who will be last."

"Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?" What do you suppose prompted the asking of this question? It was asked, I believe, in response to Christ's teaching and a common belief that all Jews would at last be saved. Many still believe that all people who are Jews, by blood, will be saved. However, if you listen to Jesus long enough you discover that one's nationality is not the issue. The central issue is saving faith or the lack of it. A person's salvation has nothing to do with blood, the exercise of human will or with good works. Salvation has to do with faith in Jesus Christ as one's Savior and Lord. Which faith is itself a gift from God, (Eph. 2:8-9). The Christian is identified, not by ancestry, but by his faith in and love for God and His Son. This faith and love for God and His Christ is made evident by deeds of obedience, (See I John 5:3). If a person does believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and goes on to obey the word of God he is a Christian. As Jesus traveled and taught He repeated these truths over and over again in many different ways. Some, like the person who asked the question in our text, began to see that the Jews would not be saved just because they were Jewish. Let's look at a few texts that might cause one to question a national salvation for all Jews.

(Luke 4:25-29 NASB) "But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land; {26} and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. (This woman, thought by some to be the mother of Jonah, was a Gentile not a Jew! In this instance, and many others, God by-passed the blood born Jew to bestow His grace and mercy on a Gentile. Another example follows.) {27} "And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian." (This man was also a Gentile! These things were a matter of common knowledge among the Jews and yet notice their reaction when Jesus brings them to their attention.) {28} And all in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; {29} and they rose up and cast Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff." Why were the Jews in such a state of rage? Because Christ was saying that God's love and grace did not belong exclusively to them. Rather, by sovereign election God bestows His grace and mercy upon people from every nation under the sun. His choosing of these individuals has nothing to do with blood or human performance. God's choosing of a person is a gracious choice that does not take the person's worth or behavior into consideration. (See Romans 9) One could easily conclude from these illustrations that God's gracious intentions are not limited to the Jews.

Notice next that Christ's teaching about who will inherit the kingdom of God excludes many, if not most. (Luke 6:20-38 NASB) And turning His gaze on His disciples, He began to say, "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. (This speaks of being poor in spirit or humble and submissive to God. The Jews and especially their leaders were proud and opposed to God's teachings through Jesus Christ. Therefore, they would not inherit the kingdom of God. They were not poor in spirit.) . . {22} "Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and cast insults at you, and spurn your name as evil, FOR THE SAKE OF THE SON OF MAN.{23} "Be glad in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets." The Jews did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. They did not stand for or with Christ. Fact is, the Jews were among those who persecuted people for standing with and believing in Christ! Therefore, they were not in the kingdom of God and would not be in heaven.

(Luke 6:46-49 NASB) "And why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? {47} "Everyone who comes to Me, and hears My words, and acts upon them, I will show you whom he is like: {48} he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation upon the rock; and when a flood rose, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. {49} "But the one who has heard, and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house upon the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great." This passage makes it clear that not everyone will be saved but only those who hear the words of Christ, believe them, and act upon them. This was not true of most of the Jews and it is not true of most Gentiles. Let's consider one more passage.

(Luke 12:8-9 NASB) "And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man shall confess him also before the angels of God; {9} but he who denies Me before men shall be denied before the angels of God." The vast majority of Jews, as was true of the vast majority of Gentiles did not confess Jesus as Lord and Savior. Quite the contrary, they denied Him before men. Therefore, in the judgement, He will deny them. Such people will not be saved from the wrath to come.

These are the teachings of Christ that, in my opinion, caused the question to be asked, "Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?" Christ does not answer the question as one might expect Him to. His answer is found in Luke 13:24 NASB. "Strive (agonize, struggle, labor, fight) to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able."

He did not give a yes or no answer. Rather, he redirected the person's attention to himself. Jesus, in essence, says, "Don't worry about other people. Strive after your own salvation." To strive means to exert oneself to the fullest extent possible. The word calls upon us to strain every muscle, every nerve in our struggle against sin, self and Satan. Every human must agonize, fight, struggle, and labor to enter the kingdom of God.

You see there is one and only one door that leads to heaven. Jesus declares that this door is narrow and, by implication, difficult to get through. In Matthew He calls the door a gate and extends the same sort of warning. Hear the word of the Lord. (Matthew 7:13-14 NASB) "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, (hell) and MANY are those who enter by it. {14} "For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, (heaven) and FEW are those who find it." Here is the answer to the question, "Are there just a few who will be saved?" Yes, there are only a few that will be saved. There are many who will choose the wide gate and path who will be destroyed. There are, by comparison, few who will find the small gate and the narrow way that leads to eternal life. This is why Jesus counsels all who hear to, strive, labor, fight and agonize to enter through the narrow door. But what or who is this door into the kingdom of God and of heaven? John's gospel gives us the answer.

(John 10:1-9 NASB) "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the DOOR into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. {2} "But he who enters by the DOOR is a shepherd of the sheep. . . {7} Jesus therefore said to them again, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I AM THE DOOR OF THE SHEEP. {8} "All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. {9} "I AM THE DOOR; IF ANYONE ENTERS THROUGH ME, HE SHALL BE SAVED, AND SHALL GO IN AND OUT, AND FIND PASTURE."

The door, gate or passage way to heaven is Jesus Christ the Lord! There is no other door, no other way into the kingdom but through the Christ of the Bible. This explains the "narrow" part of the door's description. The door is small or narrow in the sense that there is only one door as opposed to many. The path is narrow in the sense that there is only one way to God! That one way to God is through the door who is Jesus Christ the Lord! Take another path or pass through a different gate and you will find eternal destruction. Jesus is the only way, the only truth, He is one's only hope of eternal life! Such exclusive statements make men and women of every age extremely uncomfortable and even angry. However, we cannot and should not try to soften Christ's teaching. There is only one mediator between God and man and that is Jesus Christ! Joseph Smith is not a door to heaven. Mohamed is not a door to heaven. Buddha is not a door to heaven. Mary is not a door to heaven. There is only one door through which one must go to get to heaven and that is Jesus Christ the Lord, the only begotten son of God! Jesus made the statement Himself, "I AM THE DOOR; IF ANYONE ENTERS THROUGH ME, HE SHALL BE SAVED . . ."

Jesus is counseling the one who asked the question, those who were in the crowd and all who read this text to strive, agonize, fight and labor to trust Him and Him alone for salvation.

Next, He reveals the urgency of passing through this door and the tragedy of failing to do so. (Luke 13:24-30 NASB) "Strive to enter by the narrow door; for MANY, I tell you, will seek to enter and WILL NOT BE ABLE. (They will not be able to enter because they did not enter at the right time.) {25} "Once the head of the house gets up and SHUTS THE DOOR, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, 'Lord, open up to us!' then He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know where you are from.' {26} "Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets'; {27} and He will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you are from; DEPART FROM ME, ALL YOU EVILDOERS.' {28} "There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth there when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being cast out. {29} "And they will come from east and west, and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God. {30} "And behold, some are last who will be first and some are first who will be last."

The door is presently open. That is, Jesus continues to say, "Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give your rest." He continues to offer eternal life to all who believe. The door is still open. This is still an age of grace, mercy, and opportunity. Today is the day of salvation but tomorrow the door may be shut. When that door is shut Jesus will no longer be available to sinners! When the door of grace is closed it will never be opened again! The scripture's account of Noah and the Ark is a good illustration of how the day of grace will some day come to a close.

(Genesis 6:12-14 NASB) And God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. {13} Then God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth. {14} "Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch." Noah and his sons did build the Ark. Every day, month and year that these men worked on that ancient ship was an opportunity for the wicked men and women around them to repent and be saved from the coming flood of God's wrath. However, they did not repent, they did not strive to enter the safety of the Ark which was the means of their salvation. At last, when the Ark was finished, God said to Noah, "Enter the ark, you and all your household; for you alone I have seen to be righteous before Me in this time." (Genesis 7:1 NASB) (Genesis 7:16 NASB) And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, entered as God had commanded him; and the LORD CLOSED IT BEHIND HIM." The door was closed by God! The day of grace and opportunity had come to an end for that wicked generation.

(Genesis 7:23 NASB) "Thus He blotted out every living thing that was upon the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky, and they were blotted out from the earth; and only Noah was left, together with those that were with him in the ark." I can imagine that for a time the screams and pleadings of those outside the Ark could be heard. Perhaps there was weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then they were gone. This is a perfect illustration of our text this morning.

Those who have refused to enter the narrow door while given opportunity will be left standing outside, furiously knocking, seeking, searching for what can no longer be found, God's mercy in Christ. "We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets," they will say. But He will answer, "Depart I do not know who you are or where you are from." What will the reaction be? {28} "There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth there when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being cast out. {29} "And they will come from east and west, and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God. {30} "And behold, some are last who will be first and some are first who will be last."

William Hendriksen makes the following comments on these verses. "The weeping is that of inconsolable, never-ending wretchedness, and utter, everlasting hopelessness. The accompanying grinding or gnashing of teeth is that of frenzied anger, unmitigated rage. For this weeping and grinding of teeth there are three causes:

First they "see" or are made aware of the presence of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God; that is, the kingdom in its final consummation. They see others but they are not there themselves. Note: Here is further evidence that we well recognize our loved ones when we get to Heaven. Second those who are cast out will be filled with rage because so many others including converted Gentiles, from every region of the earth, east, west, north, and south, are participating in the Messianic banquet, i.e., they are in heaven. (Matt. 8:11-12). Third these unbelievers are filled with rage because they are "thrown out." Not only was admission refused, but they were forcefully expelled." (END QUOTE)

The weeping of the lost has nothing to do with sorrow for sin but with the consequences of not striving to enter the door, Jesus Christ. They are weeping for the misery they do now and continue to suffer. The gnashing teeth or intense anger has to do with the same thing, the consequences of sin which they can do nothing about. They can gnash their teeth at God for eternity and it will not lessen the torments of hell one bit.

Among those who will be shut out are many Jews who thought they were in first place as to God's favor and mercy. True, God came to the Jews first and to the Gentiles last. This order, however, will not remain. The Jews, having refused Christ when He offered Himself to them, have been passed by and now hold last place. Acts 13:46-48 explains the sense in which the Jews will be last and why that is so. "And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you FIRST; since you repudiate it, (thrust it away) and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, WE ARE TURNING TO THE GENTILES. {47} "For thus the Lord has commanded us, 'I HAVE PLACED YOU AS A LIGHT FOR THE GENTILES, THAT YOU SHOULD BRING SALVATION TO THE END OF THE EARTH.'" {48} And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed."

In the judgement, unbelieving Jews will join unbelieving Gentiles in Hell. They will be among those who weep and gnash their teeth in anger at God and His Christ. Believing Jews and Gentiles, on the other hand, will be safe in the arms of God before the door is shut. This is the meaning of Christ's words in Luke 13:30 NASB. "And behold, some are last who will be first and some are first who will be last." Those arrogant Jews who thought they were a shoe-in for heaven will find themselves in last place. They will be among the millions who are eternal losers because they did not strive to get through the Door who is Jesus Christ the Lord.

The lessons of the day are these. 1. Don't be concerned about how many people God intends to save. The question is have YOU entered the kingdom through Him who is the door? I speak of Jesus Christ the Son of the living God. It is only and exclusively by and through Him that any one, Jew or Gentile can be saved from the wrath to come. Our Lord's counsel is this. Strive, fight, struggle, agonize, do all things necessary to believe that Christ is your only hope and Savior. This striving consists of standing against your flesh. It consists of making use of the means of grace at your disposal. Corporate worship is a means of grace. So, make yourself come to the house of God. Make yourself read the Bible, that too is a means through which God communicates His blessings. Make yourself cry out to God for mercy and the grace of repentance and faith. For prayer is also a means of grace. Agonize and struggle until you have within you the testimony of the Spirit of God that you are a son of God and not a stranger. Strive until you can say with confidence and a clear conscience, my sins are forgiven and I am clean by the blood of Jesus Christ my Lord. Strive and agonize till you find rest for your soul. When you find that you love God's word, His people, His house, His ways and long in your heart to please Him, you may know that the kingdom of heaven is yours. When these things are true of you, you have been born again.

Second, I speak to the urgency of this matter. The owner of the house can shut the door of grace and opportunity at any time. There are two ways God shuts this door. First the door is shut when God causes a person to die. When you die, my friend, the door of grace is shut. If you have not entered by then there is no hope for you. Second the door of which Jesus speaks will one day be shut on all when the day or age of grace has come to an end. These truths tells us that now is the acceptable time, this is the place, this is the day of salvation and we may not have another. Today is the day YOU ought to seek reconciliation with God.

back