Sunday Sermons
The Straight and Narrow
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).
It does take a tremendous amount of courage, honesty, and integrity to enter the narrow way, and to serve God and others when surrounded by a world that appeals to our selfishness (John 2:15-17). The Bible, and life in general, is filled with examples of people who, for one reason or another, could not gather up the courage to either make the right decision or stick with it (Matthew 10:21-22; John 12:42-43; Acts 24:25; 2 Timothy 4:10 “for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me”; 2 Timothy 4:3 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine”).
Too Much Pressure?
The Bible clearly teaches that the Christian can lose his or her salvation (2 Timothy 212 “If we deny Him, He also will deny us”). That the Christian must be diligent in searching the Scriptures (Acts 17:11; 2 Timothy 2:15; Hebrews 5:14), so they grow spiritually and are able to resist temptation and false doctrine (2 Peter 3:16-17). The Bible also teaches that the Christian must “strive” (Luke 13:24), and exert continual effort, vigilance, and persistence in order to remain faithful (2 Peter 1:5-11). This would include teaching one’s own children (Ephesians 6:4), and serving and helping others (Matthew 25:31-46). We live in a society today that considers the above obligations as being “too much responsibility” and “too much pressure”. Thus many religious bodies simply argue that grace will cover any and all failures or departures in the above areas. Yet godly men and women in the past did not consider any of the above to be a burden. King David did not consider searching the Scriptures to be too much weight upon his shoulders, rather he noted, “O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97). Neither did the apostles bemoan all the responsibility for their own salvation that had been placed on their shoulders (1 Corinthians 9:16,27; 2 Corinthians 11:28; Philippians 3:13-15; 2 Peter 1:10; 1 John 1:5-10). When I find people resenting having to take responsibility for their own faithfulness, which involves sorting out doctrines, studying the Scriptures, repenting of their sins, being concerned about others and so on, I place this attitude in the overall context of our modern times when I see many people not wanting to sacrifice or suffer. We live in a culture where fewer and fewer people want to take responsibility for their own lives, their own futures, and where fewer people are willing to lay down their lives for others, for freedom, for a noble cause, where people refuse to put forth the effort to raise their own children, make their own marriages work, and exercise self-control when it comes to spending, their time, or their passions (2 Timothy 3:2-4).
In And Out Of Favor?
Some professed believers argue that they don’t like this idea that if they believe false doctrine or practice sin in ignorance that they fall out of favor with God. They don’t like this idea that they are some kind of spiritual yo-yo who is at one moment right with God and the next lost and condemned. They feel that they cannot have any confidence in such a relationship. Please note that one sin can condemn us (Acts 5:1-11). Even the apostles ended up being rebuked for one transgression (Matthew 16:23 “Get behind me Satan”; Galatians 2:11-13). If you don’t want to be in and out of favor with God, then practice what the Bible teaches (2 Peter 1:5-11). God has already given us the plan so that we don’t fall away and so that we are not lead astray(1 John 1:7 “but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light”). I do not find any godly person in the Bible ever complaining about the need to remain faithful, or the truth that we have a large responsibility in this area. In addition, we need to cooperate with God’s plan for assisting us in resisting temptation. At times we actually get in the way of God trying to help us.
Too Much Or Not Enough Desire?
Concerning heaven, C.S. Lewis wrote, “If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at sea. We are far too easily pleased” (The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses, pp. 1-2).
Allow me to offer the following considerations that I believe are helpful for one to either make the right choice in becoming a Christian or incentive to remain faithful.
God Created Me
“Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). I did not create myself therefore I do not have the moral right to set my own agenda for how I will live. I owe God my very life and very blessing that I receive (James 1:17). All the good things in life, from marriage, food, prosperity, the beauty of the natural world, are all from Him (Acts 14:17 “and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness”). All the good memories that we have of loving parents, camping trips, exploring the outdoors, hunting, fishing, playing at the beach, and reveling in the endless days of a childhood summer, are directly related to the fact that God created this world with all its wonder and beauty.
The Efforts and Prayers Of Our Parents
It takes a tremendous amount of energy and sacrifice to raise a child. We do owe much to our parents. These parents, like Hanna often prayed to God for the ability to conceive a child (1 Samuel 1:10-11). Godly fathers, like Isaac in the past, have asked God to bless their marriage with children (Genesis 25:21 “Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife”). We, those of us alive here today, are in many senses an answer to prayer that was prayed long ago. In addition, mothers and fathers have often vowed to God that they would do their best to raise these children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (1 Samuel 1:11; Ephesians 6:4; Joshua 24:15). How is a person to live when they realize that they are the answer to their parent’s prayers? How is one to act, what priorities should a person have who understands that their parents vowed to dedicate this child to God’s service? Do I simply say, “No thanks, I would rather live for myself”?
The Sacrifices Of Past Generations
The Bible is a book filled with the efforts and dedication of the righteous in spite of tremendous obstacles. We owe our very existence to Noah’s faith in building the ark and getting into it (Hebrews 11:7). We owe our salvation to the prophets who kept at least a remnant faithful in Israel until the Messiah could be born. We owe so much to the early Christians who spread the gospel message beyond the Middle East (Colossians 1:23), so that it would reach Europe and hence North America and the rest of the world. Then there are all those Christians who we did not know by name who endured persecution, ridicule, and who lost family and friendships because they loved the truth and resisted the temptation to compromise. This congregation exists today because of the countless sacrifices of previous generations (Hebrews 12:7). Added to this, we also owe all those brave men and women in the past who laid their lives down so that we could live in a nation where the freedom to worship God as He pleases exists. The question is “how should we react to all these sacrifices”? Did all these people endure so much so that we could spend our time in self-indulgence? People tend to forget that if our generation refuses to make similar sacrifices then the existence of sound congregations may not be around for our children or grandchildren.
Dead Loved Ones
The rich man in Luke 16 was extremely concerned about the fate of his brothers, “That you send him to my father’s house for I have five brothers that he may warn them, lest they also come to this place of torment” (Luke 16:28). The Hebrew writer presents the faithful dead of past generations as a great cloud of witnesses (12:1) that surrounds us. Every friend or loved one that has departed from this life, even if they ended up lost is earnestly concerned that we make the right choices. If a loved one died outside of Christ, we know that they are presently hoping that we end up saved.
The Best Company
Jesus pictured the righteous as reclining at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Matthew 8:11). Now and then famous people will be asked to make up a list of the 10 people in history, past or present, to form the ideal dinner party. On most lists, Jesus of Nazareth is the first guest invited. Heaven means being in the eternal company of the best people who ever lived. Imagine the conversations! If you relish stimulating conversation, being around truly good and wonderful people, hearing exciting and intriguing stories, then just imagine hearing every detail of what happened in Egypt and the wilderness, from Moses himself; the entire life of Adam and Eve; the things that John said would fill books that the world itself could not contain(John 21:25). Hebrews chapter 11 gives us a good look into the type of people that will be found in heaven, “men of whom the world was not worthy” (11:38). Hendriksen notes, “This means that the chief obstacle to progress will have been completely removed. Neither sin nor the curse is able to dwell there at all. Now it would seem to me that minds unobscured by sin will make better progress in knowledge than minds obscured by sin; that hearts no longer oppressed by the results of sin will advance more readily in inner delight than hearts that are thus oppressed” (p. 77). This comment really should make us think: What is life like without sin or the desire to sin? What is the quality of life, contentment, meaning, purpose, etc…without sin? What thoughts could I think, what goals could I reach, if there wasn’t any sin to get in the way? Clearly, we will never become divine ourselves, for we are created beings, but does that mean that we won’t continue to grow in knowledge, understanding, and similar qualities? Heaven is truly a place in which all self-imposed obstacles have been removed. Just think of the possibilities, a place where you can really reach your ultimate potential for goodness, happiness, righteousness, and so on! “But are like angels in heaven” (Matthew 22:30)
Jesus Died For Me
“Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being feel upon Him” (Isaiah 53:4-5).
