Sermon Tone Analysis

A week ago Dr. WongLoiSing assisted us in learning about “nearness” as a lateral concept as well as a linear understanding of time.

Today, you may have noticed a theme in our worship music of “more love”.

My premise is that “more love” is experienced the nearer we get to the heart of Jesus.

To help us understand “near” to the heart of Jesus, here is my friend Grover… show Near/Far video clip

Earlier this week one of my High School classmates posted a link to an article by an author who claims to be a Christian by the name of Jen Hatmaker.

In this article Hatmaker writes that people have the right to leave denominations or churches that do not align with their social understanding of justice.

And I agree with that assertion.

However, she claims that there is more “freedom and joy and life and light” as one aligns with a church that denies the Biblical definitions.

As to which choice is a better choice, I would suggest Hatmaker join me in reading Jesus’ words recorded by Matthew in today’s text

Deviance Leads to Destruction (vv.13-14)

Matthew 7:13–14 (ESV) —“Enter by the narrow gate.

For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.

14For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Two Ways, 2 Gates, 2 Crowds & 2 Destinations[i] (Stott)

1.

One marked by wide, easy, many & destruction

2. Other marked by narrow, hard, few & life

Several of you have commented or reacted to a social media post I made about pre-born life.

One commentator, whom I love deeply but disagree with his position on this issue, (yes, it is possible to deeply love people with whom we disagree!)

supported his claims with the statements “science ubiquitously agrees” and “the reality is almost never wrong”.

His arguments would describe one path, but that is not the gate that Jesus tells his listeners to enter.

3. Jesus is NOT claiming that the narrow gate is preferred because it is the minority position.

He commands entry into the narrow gate because that is the one that leads to life.

Clarification

1.

You may not like the label that I have put on the wide gate.

I’m not trying to say that only deviants choose this path, but that those who do choose the wide path deviate from Jesus’ instruction to choose the narrow path.

2. “The gate is narrow because it requires a person to turn from sin to follow Jesus, to do the will of God as taught by Jesus.

It is narrow because it is the surpassing righteousness of 5:17–48, the deeper righteousness of 6:1–18, the single-minded righteousness of 6:19–34, and the wise way of life as seen in 7:1–11”.[ii]

(McKnight)

3. Deviating from my position is not the problem.

Deviating from Jesus’ instruction is what leads to destruction.

4.

This is what makes a person evangelical or not! “Evangelical” is not based on voting or church membership, whenever you hear me use the term evangelical, I mean that the evangel/Gospel/good news/revealed will of God has authority over one’s decisions.

Application