"Striving to enter the Kingdom" April 14, 2024

First Baptist Church Leominster

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to his house, for of course, Peter was a typical Jewish man of that day who was really quite prejudiced against Gentiles, and yet Peter had been making some movement.

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Peter was already staying at the house of a tanner, and that would have been regarded as an unclean thing to do by a

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Jewish man of that day, so there was some movement there, but it took a vision that God provided for Peter.

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It had to be repeated for Peter to be willing to go to this Gentile man and give him the gospel, and this man and his household was gloriously converted.

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Acts chapter 10. Acts chapter 10.

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At Caesarea, there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the

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Italian cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God.

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About the ninth hour of the day, he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him,

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Cornelius, and he stared at him in terror and said, what is it, Lord? And he said to him, your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God, and now send men to Joppa and bring one

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Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.

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When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those whom attended him, and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

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The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray, and he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth.

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In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air, and there came a voice to him, rise,

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Peter, kill and eat, but Peter said, by no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean, and the voice came to him again a second time, what

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God has made clean, do not call common. This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.

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Now, while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon's house, stood at the gate and called out to ask whether Simon, who was called

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Peter, was lodging there, and while Peter was pondering the vision, the spirit said to him, behold, three men are looking for you, rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them, and Peter went down to the men and said,

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I am the one you are looking for, what is the reason for your coming? And they said,

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Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God -fearing man who is well -spoken by the whole

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Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear what you have to say, so he invited them to be his guests.

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The next day he rose and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him, and on the following day they entered

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Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends.

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When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him, but Peter lifted him up saying, stand up,

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I too am a man, and as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered, and he said to them, you yourselves know how unlawful it is for a

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Jew to associate or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean, so when

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I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then, why you sent for me?

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And Cornelius said, four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing and said,

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Cornelius, your prayer have been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. Send therefore to Joppa and ask for a man,

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Simon, who is called Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner by the sea, so I went for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come.

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Now therefore, we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord. So Peter opened his mouth and said, truly

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I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation, anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.

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As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ, he is

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Lord of all. You yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed, how

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God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him, and we are witnesses of all that he did, both in the country of the

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Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him up on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people, but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

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And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead.

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To him, all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.

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While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word, and the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed because the gift of the

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Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles, for they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling

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God. Then Peter declared, can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people who have received the

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Holy Spirit just as we have? And he asked them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

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Then they asked him to remain for some days. Let's pray.

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Our Father, what a wonderful gift salvation is. What a wonderful gift it is that you have provided to your sons and daughters, that you have provided to the

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Gentiles. Lord, we just thank you that all of these blessings, all that we are is found in Christ Jesus and what he accomplished on the cross on our behalf.

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He has reconciled us to you by making peace through his blood. Lord God, we rejoice in this truth and we thank you.

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And Lord, we ask now that as we continue to worship you through the preaching of the word, Lord, be with Pastor Lars and strengthen him, give him clarity of voice and thought as he proclaims your truth.

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And we pray, Lord, that when we hear the truth that your spirit would enable us to understand it, that you would give us wisdom and how we can apply it to our lives.

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We pray, Lord, that we would leave here changed, that we would leave here different from what we are now.

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Conform us, Lord, to the image of your son through the preaching of your word and the power of your spirit.

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Thank you, Lord, in Jesus' name. Amen. Well, please turn with me in your

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Bibles to Luke 13 as we continue our study in this gospel.

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Today is what, the 61st Lord's Day that we've addressed this and we've entitled this striving to enter the kingdom.

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Today, Lord willing, we'll give attention to verses 22 through 30 of Luke 13. We actually addressed this passage just three years ago in our sermon series,

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The Unconverted Believer, in which we were attempting to address nominal Christianity.

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But because of the importance and relevance of its message and because it follows, of course, in our present study of Luke, the gospel of Luke, we're addressing it again today.

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I think that if I were to have an opportunity to go into just about any evangelical church in America, this would be one of the messages that I would want to bring to them.

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It'd probably end up in me getting thrown out of the church for doing so, but I think that this is a very important and needful message regarding the nominal

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Christianity that seems to be so prevalent. But before we consider the passage itself, we'll first say a few words of introduction.

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Although true believers in Jesus Christ are presently citizens of the kingdom of God, we know the fullness of that kingdom will not occur until the

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Lord Jesus returns. When we're resurrected from the dead, we're delivered and exonerated on the day of judgment of mankind.

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We initially entered the kingdom of God through our new birth shown forth in our repentance from sin and faith in Jesus Christ, and one day we'll receive and enjoy the full realization of the kingdom in the new

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Jerusalem, in the new heavens, in the new earth. And so there's a present reality of the kingdom of which we are citizens, but there's a future full realization at the second coming of Christ.

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And we would say that just as we were to give forth all of our effort to enter the present kingdom through our initial conversion through repentance from sin and faith in Jesus Christ, so also we are to give forth great effort throughout the

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Christian life in order to enter the kingdom that will be realized at the end of the age.

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And that's the point of error that is so common. People assume because we're justified by grace through faith alone, which is a biblical reality, we don't have to do anything because as long as we believe the right things, we have salvation.

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But the fact is the word of God lays out a whole lot of things that we're to do as Christians if we're true

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Christians, and that's what the Lord Jesus presses upon us here today. We are to give great forth, give forth great effort throughout our

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Christian lives in order to enter the kingdom when the Lord Jesus Christ returns. And so true saving faith is shown forth in a lifetime of repentance, turning from sin and living unto righteousness by the grace of God through faith in the

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Lord Jesus Christ. And so there's a sense in which we have already entered the kingdom of God, but in another sense we will yet enter the kingdom that God has prepared for us.

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As Jesus said in Matthew 25, come and inherit the kingdom that God has prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

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And so let's consider this passage in Luke 13 in which we read of our responsibility to live devout and holy lives as we anticipate our future entrance into the kingdom of God.

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We've already shown that the gospel of salvation that's often proclaimed to the world and believed upon by many in the churches does not reflect the fullness of what the holy scriptures set forth to be the way of salvation.

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There is much that has a show and claim of Christianity but is of little true substance.

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Paul warned Timothy that in the last days, which is this entire church age, this would be a commonplace matter which

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Timothy would need to contend. Paul wrote, but know this that in the last days perilous times will come.

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We're living in those perilous times, this entire church age, for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self -control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.

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Having a form of godliness but denying the power, that's nominal Christianity.

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Having a form of godliness but denying its power from such people turn away. Don't have anything to do with them

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Timothy. And so there is much that claims to be biblical Christianity but denies the necessity of living a transformed life of holiness and obedience unto the

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Lord. Saving faith is all too often assumed to be the single act of faith of one who trusted

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Jesus Christ to be Lord and God incarnate who paid the penalty for sin and his life and his death, resurrection.

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And so it's assumed that if one truly believes and only believes these facts then he or she has become saved once for all time.

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But the scripture set for saving faith to be more than just believing truths about who Jesus is and what he did.

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And although God justifies the true believer upon initial faith in Jesus Christ, saving faith is transformative in that it shapes and directs the way one lives in the light of the truth of Jesus Christ.

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As the scripture declares in four places, the just shall live by faith.

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This means the just, those who are truly justified by grace through faith alone, shall live by faith.

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In other words, righteous ones, true Christians, live out a life of righteousness.

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Saving faith is not merely the first act of faith but saving faith shapes and directs the way a believer lives in the world.

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Saving faith is evident in the fruit of faithful obedience to Jesus Christ the Lord. Saving faith embraces

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Jesus Christ as Lord in which the believer becomes a devout and dedicated disciple of Jesus Christ.

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A true Christian is a true disciple. A true disciple is a true Christian. The disciples were first called

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Christians at Antioch according to the book of Acts. Saving faith places the

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Christian on a new path of living that leads to and ends in eternal life. The biblical understanding, this biblical understanding repudiates what is commonly referred to as easy believism.

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It was the 19th century evangelist Asahel Nettleton who lived down here in East Windsor, Connecticut.

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By the way his house is still standing there. It was at Nettleton who rightly declared, no preacher ever made the way of heaven more difficult than the son of God who said, wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction and many go in there at and strive to enter in at the straight gate for many

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I say unto you will seek to enter and will not be able. If any preacher attempts to show an easier way to heaven then by the straight gate narrow way of regeneration you may know that he does not preach the way of salvation.

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And of course Nettleton was one of the leaders of the second great awakening here in the colonies in New England, actually the state's

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New England, and he was repudiating the false teaching of Charles Finney that was permeating this entire region teaching an easy believism.

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And so the life of the true believer, the one who exhibits saving faith, has repented of all sin when he came to Jesus Christ as his

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Lord and Savior. That doesn't mean he is free of sin of course but he acknowledges all sin and purposes to turn from it as the

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Lord enables him when he first believes on Jesus. And so when he became a

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Christian his desire and commitment to follow the Savior became the preeminent concern of his life.

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There are some sinners who seek salvation but they do not do so wholly. Again Asahel Nettleton wrote, they do not seek it as a thing of first importance.

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The direction is seek first the kingdom of God. Let it be the first and leading object of your pursuit.

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Everything must give way and lie in subordination to this object. Whatever may come in competition, however dear you must be able to renounce it without a sigh, without hesitation.

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The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hid in a field, the which when a man hath found he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and sells all that he has and buys that field.

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This life of faith that leads unto eternal life is a difficult way, a way which few find and few travel.

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To walk in this way requires humbling oneself, subordinating one's interests and desires to do

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God's will, submitting to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It involves responsibility to remain true and faithful in obedience to the

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Lord Jesus even through suffering for doing so. Jesus himself said, if anyone desires to come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross, follow me.

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For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

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For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?

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Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the son of man will come in the glory of his father with his angels and then he will reward each according to his works.

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Now before us here in Luke 13, our Lord pressed upon all his hearers before him of the importance of striving through life in order to enter eternal life.

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And so here are verses 22 through 30 in the New King James Version. And he went through the cities and villages teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem and then one said to him,

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Lord are there few who are saved? He said to them, strive to enter through the narrow gate for many

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I say to you will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house has risen up and shut the door and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door saying,

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Lord, Lord open for us and he will answer and say to you, I do not know you where you are from.

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Then you will begin to say, we ate and drank in your presence and you taught in our streets. But he will say,

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I tell you I do not know you where you are from. Depart from me all you workers of iniquity.

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And 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 and yourselves thrust out and they will come from the east and west from the north and south.

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That's where Gentiles lived and sit down in the kingdom of God. And indeed there there are last who will be first and there are first who will be last.

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And so here we read that our Lord pressed his disciples with their responsibility to strive to enter the kingdom.

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In this passage we read of our Lord giving his hearers a sense of urgency for their responsibility to respond to his message by turning from sin and following him.

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One commentator, he was a commentator of the Greek text of the gospel of Luke. I quote him because he was so good.

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I Howard Marshall described this portion of the gospel in the context of Jesus's journey to Jerusalem.

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The section opens with a reminder that Jesus is evangelizing the people and is on his way to Jerusalem, the city of his passion.

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This provides the context for both the following sections. The first dealing with the danger of not responding to the message of Jesus and the second with the inevitability of the rejection of Jesus and his death at Jerusalem.

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A question by an inquirer introduces the saying of Jesus stressing the importance of entry to the kingdom by the narrow door before it's too late and the door is shut.

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Two thoughts are juxtaposed. The one is that the periods of opportunity is limited by the imminence of judgment.

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The other is that entry to the kingdom depends not merely on hearing the message of Jesus and having fellowship with him but above all on turning from evil in repentance.

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The unrepentant Jews of Jesus's own time are contrasted with the faithful men of the old testament times and believing gentiles who will find their way into the kingdom.

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The day of judgment will produce surprises and it's overturning of human expectations.

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And so our Lord and his disciples were proceeding on their journey, their final journey to Jerusalem.

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We've been in this for a while. Luke first recorded this final journey beginning with Luke 9 51 in which we read, now it came to pass when the time had come for him to be received up he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem.

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Jesus taught the crowds along the way with the arrival to his destination

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Jesus would meet his destiny that is to suffer and die upon his cross and then be raised from the dead and so he declared in Luke 13 33, nevertheless

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I must journey today tomorrow and the following day for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside Jerusalem.

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He wasn't that far off from Jerusalem when he spoke these words and so the time was short his hearers must not put off responding to him for the day of salvation would end soon and then the judgment of God would befall that entire generation of Jews and this was particularly true the inhabitants of Jerusalem the seed of Judaism.

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In the same passage Luke recorded Jesus pronouncing judgment upon Israel for their rejection of him as their

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Messiah. Jesus said oh Jerusalem Jerusalem the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her how often

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I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings but you were not willing see your house is left to you desolate that's the desolation of abomination the abomination was their rejection of Jesus the desolation was of Jerusalem in the

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AD 70 and Luke speaks a lot about that in chapter 21. I say to you you shall not see me until the time comes when you say blessed is he who comes in the name of the

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Lord. Now this journey to Jerusalem the impending death of Jesus and the subsequent judgment on Jerusalem provides a sense of importance to Jesus's teaching and a sense of urgency to his hearers as well as to the readers of the gospel and so it was while they were traveling one asked

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Jesus Lord are there few who are who are saved and this resulted in Jesus's teaching that we have recorded before us regarding the way of salvation and so on considering this passage let us answer several questions and make several points that this episode suggests to us.

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First of all a very simple question that needs to be answered what is it to be saved

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Lord are there few who are saved the word or idea of salvation permeates of course all the scripture the basic idea of one being saved is to be rescued from a life -threatening situation but when we speak of receiving salvation from sin we're addressing the great need of everyone to be delivered from God's wrath upon sin and its damning consequences and so as we've repeatedly stated salvation includes

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God delivering us from the guilt of sin that's our justification the alienation of sin that's our reconciliation and adoption into the family of God from the power of sin our progressive sanctification and finally of course from the very presence of sin which will occur at our glorification specifically on the day of the resurrection and so when we speak of the salvation that God affects for us through Jesus Christ all these ideas come into view the

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Bible teaches that all mankind is condemned due to sin and is under his wrath when the

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Bible speaks of becoming saved it's the idea of being delivered from sin and its consequences escaping the wrath of God by the grace of God through faith in God's provision is on Jesus Christ and our full and final salvation will be realized when we're delivered from the wrath of God on the day of judgment when which would have been poured out upon us believers had it not been for Jesus Christ bearing

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God's wrath on our behalf when he died upon his cross and so when this man from the crowd asked the question

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Lord are only a few people going to be saved his perspective was probably this

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Lord you've been speaking of God's judgments upon us Jews God's chosen people will there be only a few of us who will escape this judgment

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Lord are there just few who were saved and so it would do us well to hear the answer the

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Lord Jesus gave to this man's question that we might escape God's judgment see there was an assumption among the

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Jews when the Messiah came all of Israel would be saved all the Jews would be saved and this man concluded from Jesus's teaching it doesn't appear that everybody's going to be saved

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Lord are there only going to be a few saved and then Jesus responds what was our

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Lord's answer to this man's question essentially Jesus said this don't be concerned with how many will be saved rather be concerned that you're one of them you strive to enter the door which leads to life is what

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Jesus told this man and he not not only telling this man but the the imperative strive is a is a there's a plural characteristic of the verb he was speaking to the entire crowd as he was answering this man you strive to enter the door that leads to life and so although one man asked

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Jesus the question Jesus's answer was addressed to all who were before him again Jesus said strive to enter through the narrow gate for many

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I say to you will seek to enter it will not be able when once the master of the house has risen up and shut the door and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door saying

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Lord Lord open for us and he'll answer and say to you I do not know you where are you from now let's work through some of the details because this passage is commonly not understood rightly first of all we need to realize that this narrow gate as we read in the

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New King James Version should actually be translated as a narrow door critically important and so this is the

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English translation of Luke 13 24 strive to enter through the narrow gate the

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English Standard Version reads strive to enter through the narrow door and that is the better translation here

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Jesus was not speaking about going through a narrow gate to enter a difficult roadway as he taught in Matthew 7 13 and 14 but he was commanding them to strive to enter a narrow door that allows entrance into a building or a house it's not a gate into a way but a door into a house strive to enter that door the details of our

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Lord's words make this clear but because the English translation is gate this teaching of Jesus is often confused with the narrow gate of Matthew 7 13 and 14 which reads again entered by the narrow gate for wide as a gate broad as the way that leads to destruction there are many that go in by it because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life and there are few who find it more specifically to what does this narrow door refer some say the narrow door is

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Jesus Christ himself entered by the door and they would refer to John 10 9

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I am the door whoever enters through me shall be saved Jesus is the door and certainly

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Jesus Christ is the door the only way through which one may enter salvation and eternal eternal life but in the context of Luke 13 24 the

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Lord Jesus is not using the narrow door to refer to himself in this context

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Jesus is the owner of the house he's the keeper of the door he opens the door he shuts the door permitting or forbidding entrance and Jesus refuses to open the door to some even though they had heard him teach and had eaten with him here entering the door is not a metaphor for initially becoming a

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Christian that's what the narrow gate is in Matthew 7 13 but not here entering the narrow door but rather it speaks of entering eternal life at the end of a life of faith extremely important and so we should draw a difference in distinction between the narrow gate of Matthew 7 13 and the narrow door of Luke 13 24

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I heart Howard Marshall again wrote the metaphorical picture of the narrow door in verse 24 differs considerably from that of the narrow gate and difficult way of Matthew 7 13 and 14 in Matthew we have the

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Lord telling his hearers to enter a small gate which leads into a narrow and difficult road which leads to life but in this account in Luke the

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Lord is urging his hearers not to enter through a small gate but through a small door that allows entry into a large house in which there is a banquet hall in Matthew entrance to the gate begins the disciples life of a narrow road that leads to life at the end of the journey the straight narrow roadway depicts the life of a true disciple of Jesus Christ a life of persevering faith and obedience to the

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Lord Jesus in Luke the Lord depicts salvation is being experienced after having successfully and aggressively strove to enter that door throughout life we're striving to enter that door you and I are to be striving today to enter that door when

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Jesus returns or when he returns for us and so the narrow gate is a metaphor the beginning of the life of a true disciple but the narrow door is a metaphor for the end of the life in which only true disciples are admitted entrance into the fullness of the kingdom of God and so the message of Jesus to this crowds and to this man you are to be striving to enter the future door into glory into the kingdom of God into this great house where there's a banquet hall he's talking about he's alluding to the messianic banquet that we'll be speaking about here in a few minutes now let's zero in on the the the verb the command that Jesus gives is just striving to enter the narrow door striving to enter the door is not an allusion to the initial entrance into a life of discipleship again but rather striving to enter the door depicts the entire life is striving to enter one day into the presence of the

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Lord and his people in the future banquet hall the entire Christian life is one of striving fighting overcoming to enter eternal life now it should be noted that in both contexts out of Matthew 7 and Luke 13 life for the fullness of salvation is pictured as experienced at the end of one's life at some point in the distant future we enter that gate follow that narrow difficult way that leads on to life and here the door is on to life and so in Matthew the gate is entered once at the beginning of one's pilgrimage of faith in obtaining eternal life in Luke disciples are striving through their entire lives to enter the door at the end of their life and so we might say that the door of Luke 13 24 is the door that we're striving throughout our life to enter you and I are striving right now to enter through that door we're laboring to enter the presence of God with his people in eternal life and again this whole idea of our responsibility to be striving is is an un is a concept that is not pressed upon the professing people of God it's thought and it's often said if you pray that sinners prayer man you're forgiven you're justified and it doesn't matter how you live after all we're not saved by works and so they they hear this message of striving and they wrongly assume that someone like myself who proclaims it as the

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Lord himself proclaim it is teaching works righteousness and that's error we repudiate any idea of works righteousness

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John Calvin wrote when he bids him strive or labor he conveys the information that it's impossible to obtain eternal life without great and appalling difficulties to strive to enter this narrow door is to live as a disciple of Jesus Christ forcing oneself onward in the face of trial temptation and resistance to follow

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Christ in faith and obedience the disciple of Christ struggles against sin perseveres in faith and obedience in the face of doubts and troubles he labors to do the will of God despite all opposition that's how a

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Christian lives that's who a Christian is this entering is depicted in terms of a great struggle the

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Greek word translated striving is agno nizeth that grammatically speaking it's a present tense middle voice imperative in other words command it's a command to be continually or continuously exerting every effort to stretch every nerve to enter the narrow door the

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Greek word is the etymology or the source for the English word to agonize you might have heard of that heard that when saying the

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Greek word again agno nizeth that agonize the life of the

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Christian is one of striving and we might say even agonizing to enter the door unto eternal life that is before us this word translated striving is used elsewhere in Scripture the

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Apostle Paul used this word to describe his own strenuous effort with view to his own salvation first Corinthians 919 and following he wrote these words for though I'm free from all men

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I've made myself a servant to all that I might win the more and to the Jews I became as a

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Jew that I might win Jews to those who are under the law as under the law that I might win those who are under the law to those who are without law

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Gentiles and without law not being without law toward God I don't know the law toward Christ he was never lawless that I might win those who are without law to the weak

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I became weak as weak that I might win the weak I become all things to all men that I might by all means save some and then notice verse 23 this

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I do for the gospel sake that I may be partaker of it with you this was the course of faith that Paul was to do do you not know that those who run in a race all run but one receives the prize run in such a way that you may obtain it

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Paul is arguing the same thing that Jesus declared strive you run in a race and you got to win it everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things now they do it to obtain a perishable crown but we for an imperishable crown he's talking about salvation therefore

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I run thus not with uncertainty thus I fight not as one who beats the air but I discipline my body bring it into subjection list when

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I preach to others I myself should be disqualified or perhaps better cast away now the verb that is translated and everyone who competes for the prize is temperate the verb translated competes is the same

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Greek word that Jesus used in Luke 13 again the

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Greek word ago did so so Manasse it conveys the thought of rigorous and strenuous effort and that Paul gave his entire focus and strength to compete to win the prize and hear the prize he clearly set forth as his own salvation which is of course received by God's grace alone but given by God upon the completion of a life of holy living born and sustained through life the

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Christian life is one of difficulty it's a narrow way you narrow gate on a difficult way that few find that narrow gate and it leads on to life similarly

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Paul wrote to Timothy of his great devotion and effort to live for God and to serve him here's the passage in the in the

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English Standard Version first Timothy 4 if you put these things before the brothers you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus being trained in the words of the faith and of good doctrine that you followed have nothing to do with the irreverent silly myths rather train yourself for godliness for while bodily training is of some value godliness is of value in every way as it holds promise for the life present life and also for the life to come the saying is trustworthy deserving of full acceptance for to this end we toil and notice

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I am boldened and italicized the word strive because we have our hope set on the

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Living God who is the Savior all people especially those who believe and so here

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Paul used this same Greek word which is translated strive to describe his own effort to attain godliness in this life for God has promised eternal life for those who are godly and again this in no way cancels or is a denial of our justification by God's grace to faith alone when we first came to salvation in Jesus Christ but this describes the nature of saving faith it's a life a pursuit it's a life fighting running overcoming struggling in order to enter that door at the end of life now fourthly this narrow door into a large house it in which there's a banquet hall in this banquet hall is a large gathering of all the

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Old Testament Jewish Saints as well as amazingly a large number of Gentiles who are all dining together at this large feast

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Abraham Isaac and Jacob and then a whole bunch of people from the east and west north and south

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Gentiles too and so this is what our Lord meant when he said they will come from the east and west and from the north and south and sit down in the kingdom of God and so what is pictured by this great banquet hall is the kingdom of God in which the body of the redeemed of all ages all the redeemed one people of God enjoy peace security and fellowship with their

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King and Lord there will be Jews and Gentiles in the kingdom of God which are all that is all who believed on Jesus Christ and Lord and Savior and lived as his disciples throughout their lives however outside of this house are those clambering to enter who believe that entry should be granted them but are nevertheless excluded from the gathering the idea of a great banquet is an image which is used frequently in scripture to depict the blessing and fellowship of the kingdom of God and so it's commonly referred to as the messianic banquet it's a great feast that the

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Messiah provides for his people at his second coming of course eating together had great significance in the ancient world to dine together was the fullest expression of enjoyment of a relationship between friends you did not really know a person if you had not sat down together and shared a common meal with them and here the full meaning and enjoyment of one's relationship with God is to have a meal with him we may see the great significance in both the

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Old and New Testaments of this idea of a shared meal with the people of God and with God himself and when we think of Old Testament sacrifices we most often think of an innocent animal being of course burying being a substitutionary sacrifice for the worshiper and that certainly is true this is central to the idea of sacrifice but frequently in conjunction with this idea of a sin offering a sacrifice is also viewed as a meal preparation in which the priest or worshiper would sit down and feast together with God for example we have

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Abraham sitting down and dining with his three visitors in Genesis 18 and one of them was a theophany in appearance of God himself

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Jacob dined on a mountain with his father -in -law Jethro in the presence of God and it may be that Isaac desired to dine before God prior to his death so he sent a seesaw out to make a meal just before he died this was the hope of Israel that one day the

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Messiah would come and a golden age would be established and a great messianic banquet would be prepared and the people of Israel all reunited as one large family would dine with their deliverer we see this idea in the

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Old Testament prophets in Isaiah 25 and in this mountain that's an emblem a metaphor for a temple and also a kingdom the kingdom of God in this mountain the

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Lord of Hosts will make for all people a feast of choice pieces a feast of wines on the leaves of fat things full of marrow of well -defined wines on the leaves and he will destroy on this mountain the surface of the covering cast over all people and the veil that is spread over all nations and he'll swallow up death forever and the

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Lord God will wipe white tears from all faces the rebuke of his people he'll take away all from all the earth for the

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Lord has spoken but a feast is tied up with the idea of full and final salvation and then we also read of the promised messianic banquet in Isaiah 65 here the

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Lord contrasts those who are under his wrath with those who experience his salvation behold my servants shall eat but you shall be hungry behold my servants shall drink but you should be thirsty behold my servants shall rejoice again a festive banquet but you should be ashamed behold my servants shall sing for joy of heart but you shall cry for sorrow of heart but we come into the

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New Testament we also read of this theme of the messianic banquet we're gonna have it next in the next chapter

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Luke chapter 14 verse 15 and following now when one of those who sat at the table with him heard these things he said to him blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God he was anticipating a messianic banquet and then he

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Jesus said to him a certain man gave a great supper invited many and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who are invited come for all things are now ready but they all with one accord began to make excuses the first said to him

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I bought a piece of ground I must go and see it I asked that you have me excused another said

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I bought five yoke of oxen I'm gonna test them I asked you to have me excused still another said

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I've married a wife and therefore I cannot come so that servant came and reported these things to his master and then the master of the house being angry said to his servant go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor the maimed and the lame and the blind the servant said master it's done as you commanded there's still room the master said to his servant go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in that my house may be filled for I say to you that none of those who were invited shall taste of my supper the whole idea is this messianic banquet theme that the

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Lord Jesus was presenting the messianic banquet is referenced in the last book of the

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Bible Revelation 8 19 there set forth a great marriage feast then he said to me right blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the

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Lamb and he said to me these are the true saints of God and interestingly of course we cited

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Old Testament New Testament but this idea the messianic banquet was common in the whole Jewish tradition and even in other

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Jewish books that were not biblical not inspired but they reflect Jewish belief and so in an early

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Jewish and Christian writing of the first century called second Enoch we have these words when the last one arrives he'll bring out

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Adam together with the ancestors and he'll bring them in there so that they may be filled with joy just as a person invites his best friends to have dinner with him and they arrive with joy and they talk together in front of that man's palace waiting with joyful anticipation to have dinner with delightful enjoyments and riches it cannot be measured enjoyed happiness in eternal life and light and I say to you my children happy is the person who reverences the name of the

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Lord who serves in front of his face always who organizes his gifts with fear offerings of life and who in this life lives and dies correctly now that's not authoritative inspired scripture but it does reflect the same ideas that we have seen both in the

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Old Testament New Testament and so what our Lord Jesus would say before these people would have resonated with their future hopes and aspirations for when the

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Messiah would come and save them from their sins so in consideration of what our

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Lord Jesus taught these people let us make some application let us always strive to enter the kingdom that describes the

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Christian life the true Christian life our Lord used the present tense imperative form of the verb strive you were to keep striving until the day that you are granted entrance into the banquet hall

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Jesus speaking of the great effort that you be expended by all who would enjoy eternal life strive suggests the idea of fighting struggling straining every nerd to force one's way through the door inside the people enjoy great peace and joy and all who are left outside the door will experience weeping and gnashing of teeth all the nominal

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Christians who live as they please with disregard to the will of God the Word of God who think that they have

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Jesus as their Savior because they're believing trusting him but living in total disregard of him in their day -to -day lives they're gonna have a rude awakening on the day of judgment they'll be excluded from the kingdom of God John Bunyan conveyed this idea in the pilgrims progress there was a scene that Christian witness while at the house of interpreter and the metaphor is of the

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Holy Spirit instructing Christian on certain truths in order to continue a journey as a

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Christian and so the narrator or the dreamer described Christian being led through different rooms in the house of the interpreter in each room depicting some aspect of the

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Christian life that would instruct and encourage Christian in his pilgrimage to the celestial city a metaphor for heaven but at one point he showed

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Christian the view of a palace and of one who would fight fiercely to enter it and I have to think

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John Bunyan had Luke 13 22 through 30 in his mind when he penned these words

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I saw also the interpreter took him again by the hand and led him into a pleasant place where was built a stately palace beautiful to behold and at the site of which

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Christian was greatly delighted he saw also upon the top there of certain persons walking who were clothed all in gold and then said

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Christian may we go in thither then the interpreter took him and led him towards the door of the palace and behold at the door stood a great company of men as desires to go in but durst or dared not there also sat a man a little distance from the door at a table site with a book and his ink horn before him to take the name of him that should enter therein he also saw he saw also that in the doorway stood many men in armor to keep it being resolved to do the men that would enter what hurt and mischief they could and now was

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Christian somewhat in a maze at last when every man started back for fear of the armed men

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Christian saw a man of a very stout countenance come up to the man that sat there to write saying sit down my name sir which one he had done he saw the man draw his sword and put a helmet on his head and rushed toward the door upon the armed men who laid upon him with deadly force but the man not at all discouraged fell to cutting and hacking most fiercely so after he had received and given many wounds to those that attempted to keep him out he cut his way through them all and pressed forward into the palace at which there was a pleasant voice heard from those that were within even those who walked upon the top of the palace saying come in come in eternal glory thou shalt win and so he went in and was clothed with garments as they and then

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Christian smiled and said I think barely I know the meaning of this I wish Bunyan would have taken the time to explain it more clearly and fully but I would suggest to you it's the same idea being conveyed by Jesus to these crowds you strive and to enter that door you live a life of discipline as a disciple of Christ repenting of sin obeying overcoming obstacles resisting all in any effort to discourage you from your journey to that celestial city and so this idea of you and me striving continually to enter into eternal life is sadly not heard of in these days there are several reasons for this it seems to conflict with our general concept of faith which is seen as merely trusting simply and solely resting in Christ in his work alone apart apart from the need of grace and able to do his will as long as you believe

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Jesus for who he is he's God incarnate and what he did on the cross and he rose again and he's ascended into heaven he's

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Lord as long as you believe that it doesn't matter how you live you're a Christian you're professing

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Christian but you know you're only a true disciple a true Christian if you follow and you do his word that's what a person with true saving faith does this is how a person born of the

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Spirit lives and desires to live and it's difficult again it's assumed that because we're justified in other words pardon declared righteous through faith alone which is certainly biblical it means that we need not do anything with you inheriting eternal life but that's a false conclusion if you do not repent you'll perish if you do not deny yourself you're dying your sins if you do not take up your cross daily and follow him you will lose your soul according to Jesus and then the second reason this teaching is not commonly taught is it seems to suggest that one merits salvation through his works and that is completely contrary to what we're saying we repudiate works righteousness with our whole being but these seeming conflicts only reveal the misunderstanding that we have these days for it was not seen as contradictory in former days here are the words of well -respected

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Puritan Matthew Henry his comments on these on these and he uses the

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English word gate that's in the King James New King James instead of door but clearly by his application he's meaning door strive to enter in at the straight gate this is directed not only to him that asked the question but to all to us it is in the plural number strive ye note all that will be saved must enter in at the straight gate must undergo a change of the whole man such as amounts to no less than being born again and must admit to strict discipline those that would enter at the straight gate must strive to enter it's a hard matter to get to heaven and a point that will not be gained without a great deal of care and pains of difficulty and diligence we must strive with God in prayer wrestle as Jacob strive against sin and Satan we must drive in every duty of religion strive with our own hearts be in agony strive as those that run for a prize excite and exert ourselves to the utmost take note of the different awakening considerations to enforce this exhortation all that we may all be awakened and quickened by them they are such considerations as will serve to answer the question are there few that shall be saved first think how many take some pains for salvation yet perish because they do not take enough and you'll say that there are that will be saved and that it highly concerns us to strive many will seek to enter in and shall not be able they seek but they do not strive note the reason why many come short of grace and glory is because they rest in a lazy seeking of that which will not be attained without a laborious driving they have a good mind to happiness and a good opinion of holiness and take some good steps toward both but their convictions are weak they do not consider what they know and believe and consequently their desires are cold and their endeavors feeble and there's no strength or steadiness in their resolutions and thus they come short and lose the prize because they do not press forward true saving faith is one that energizes the soul in life to do the will of God overcoming all obstacles we fight we strive we got a race to run and we've got to win it we've got a pilgrimage to journey and we've got to make it to that celestial city follow

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Jesus who've gone on ahead of us and we follow him in faith and obedience and we help one another they're feeble and lame they may be falling aside so that we all continue and accomplish our journey of faith but how different is this what we've been teaching today from advocates of decisionism entrance to this narrow door is not a one -time decision again the verb is a present tense imperative you're to keep striving until the day you're granted entrance into the banquet hall but we're infected with the spirit of decisionism that originated with Charles Finney back in the early 1800s by the way based on a defective theology equipped with a defective methodology and a deficient sinners prayer

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Christian workers go about leading people to make one -time decisions of faith and then and they're sure those converts that regardless of their subsequent behavior they'll be granted entrance into heaven they teach a gospel that promises salvation if you only believe the right things about sin and about Jesus you may have salvation irrespective of how you live the

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Bible never teaches that but sadly these deluded self -assured complacent individuals who live in self -willed existence who say they believe but their faith has little impact on their life continue without challenge unshakable in their confidence that they indeed are safe but when the

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Lord was asked about salvation he emphasized believing yes but also repenting obeying suffering endured overcoming and here in Luke 13 24 striving no entrance to this narrow door is not a one -time decision rather it's a lifelong endeavor striving to enter eternal life through faith repentance from sin obedience to the

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Lord Jesus now when we speak in these terms some are troubled objections are level well if this is true how can anyone be sure of his salvation suppose someone strives for a while and ceases does he lose his salvation does this imply that people merit entry by striving teaching salvation by works and all these objections are ill -founded yes even while striving one may be assured of entry no someone who strives for a while then quits does not lose his salvation for he never had saving faith and no it does not teach salvation merited by works at all of God's grace that he moves a person to strive enables him to strive and it's of grace that he grants free entrance to him at the end it's all of grace and we might postulate one more objection if you teach this and you say that people cannot claim to be presently saved and that's a falsehood too the biblical response to this challenge is that the

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Bible describes salvation in three tenses past present and future of course we have been saved it's by grace you have been saved we are being saved for if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his son much more being reconciled we shall be saved and by his life and it's talking about in this life and then the future we will yet be saved he endures under the end shall be saved these harmonize with one another but further if you emphasize one aspect past present or future to the neglect of the others you'll result in error in the troubling of souls what does it mean more specifically to strive to enter the narrow door how do we apply this how do you strive to enter the narrow door it doesn't merely mean that you listen to the

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Word of God regularly it does not mean merely that you believe what you've heard it does not mean merely that you had a measure of acquaintance with Jesus the people who are refused entrance to this door had heard

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Jesus teach apparently believe what he said some knew him quite well even having eaten with him but this is now what it is to strive to enter the narrow door striving to enter the door does not does involve ongoing repentance from sin continual following of Jesus in faith and obedience we're striving to enter the door even now as we attend to the

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Word of God and as we strive by his grace to order our lives according to what we hear we dare not be hearers only deceiving ourselves we hear do as he enables us to do so by his grace and again it certainly does not mean that you're attempting to merit any entry by your good works that is the quickest way to be excluded now the

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Lord not only gave the command to strive but he also gives motivation for doing so why then should you strive to enter the narrow door well you strive to enter the narrow door because the door is small that only emits a few at a time the idea conveyed by the narrow doors it requires great effort or struggle to get through the door to enter inside into this glorious banquet hall you should strive to enter the narrow door because the door is open only for a time it's going to be closed and again he was talking to the

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Jews in this occasion and he had view of the judgment of God falling upon that generation he was going to be crucified in not many days hence and that door of opportunity for the

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Jews would be closed behold your house has left you desolate and so there's a it's only open for a time today is the day of salvation don't think you can put it off well

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I've come to Christ six months from now I've got a few things to do first and then I'll give my heart to the Lord that's a prescription for damnation and you should strive to enter the narrow door because many are deceived so many you should strive now so that you will not be found among them for many

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I say to you will seek to enter and will not be able the reason people were not striving as they were deceived and thinking they had ample time that the judgment of God had nothing to do with them that they had a perfect right even a guarantee of entry apart from this matter striving in short they had been deceived by others and they had deceived themselves

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John Calvin wrote regarding these words this was added that we might not be deceived by a vain hope as if the multitude of our companions would be of any avail to us the flesh is willing to flatter itself and many who now give themselves every indulgence promise to themselves an easy entrance into life and thus men practice mutual deception on one another each other and fall asleep in wicked indifference to shake off from his own people those flattering hopes

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Christ declares that those who calculate that their possession of life is already certain will be shut out

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Jesus was hating upon the presumption of the people how many are going to be saved

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Lord or if you're going to be saved you make sure you're one of them strive and the

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Lord was warning his hearers of the impending judgment on his people they were to act immediately or presently there was time later would be too late and he tells us that now is the time today is the day to make every effort to enter that door all who strive in this manner will gain entry those who refuse will themselves be refused later

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God will give us grace to strive consider the consequences of failure to enter are so severe verse 28 through 30 there will be many tears of great disappointment due to missed blessing there have been many tears of great regret due to neglected opportunity and there will be many tears of great heartache for they see that even

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Gentiles were admitted entrance freely but they themselves were barred from entry and so as we conclude this matter let's ask you the question could you honestly say that your life may be characterized as striving to enter the door there is no place for a spirit of complacency in the

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Christian life we must not presume on God's mercy yes have faith in God is a

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God of great mercy but do not presume upon it it's time to awaken from lethargy and begin to strive if we've been neglectful and lethargic be aggressive in this matter lay hold on eternal life is what the

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Lord commands us as Paul instructed us be alert be prayerful be diligent seek grace from him who alone can enable you to do the things that we've been talking about amen may

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God help us and revive us and enable us to wake up every morning take up your cross daily deny yourself daily when you wake up in the morning

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Lord don't allow me to order my life according to myself will and my lust let me you know be willing to follow you regardless of the consequences

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I'm gonna be willing to take up my cross even if it means suffering to do so I'm going to do what pleases you rather than what pleases me or pleases anybody else out there

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Lord your will is first and foremost of my soul may the Lord help each of us to live with a sense of urgency fervency and and true commitment thank you father for your word and thank you

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Lord for the directness in which you speak to your people help us our

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God not to be lulled into lethargy or to be deceived our

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God by the devil who would have us to sit back and and have a false hope with regard to ourselves but rather help us our

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God to be true disciples of Jesus Christ ordering our thinking and our living according to your will as set forth in your most holy word and our

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God we would acknowledge that we are without strength we don't have the ability to do this as Jesus himself declared without me you can do nothing our father we acknowledge this and so give us more

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Jesus Christ Lord more faith in him a greater sense of who he is and his presence with us and may you help us our

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God to encourage and exhort one another in these matters that every one of us our God will enter that door in a glorious fashion when