Freedom through the Narrow Gate [Part 2]

Pastor, author and Bible teacher Alan Wright now for William to save yourself thing.

This is not a restrictive marrow buying and God is a God of love life is brought the way that you can be saved and come and live in your given life for the whole I'm excited for you to hear the teaching today. In the series called unbleached is presented at renewal the church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program today to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now. You can find out more about it and even receive a copy of your very own for your donation this month to Alan Wright ministry. So as you listen to these message go deeper as we send you today's special offer@pastor.org find out more about it and make your request or call 877-544-4860 that's 877-544-4860 beginner website pastor Alan.org. More on this later in the program but now let's get started with today's teaching dear Alan, right). I think this God is an expansive God invites people and freedom. It is for freedom, even separate and yet he talks about something is very near to see if we can approach this by thinking just a natural term for just a moment many things and live that are expansive freedoms that in order to be.

It was very constricting is terms of the gate must take two students. Imagine that Billy and Bob are friends they go to college the same time room together, both of got into a good college and both of them said they wanted in medical school and Billy and Bob get there and they realize something pretty astounding about being in a big university number one your mom's not there to get you in the morning she not there to tell you to do anything and nothing was a big university. Most of the present don't take attendance so you don't get in trouble if you glass and I found out really have an exam three or four weeks and Billy freedom. Billy says three and they decided he gonna like to play PlayStation 3 to 5 hours a day and not go to class not study because it is like this is this is freedom and Bob on the other hand, he realizes what it takes to get into medical school and grade after half their time Billy says one classmen can only take attendance.

This is not want to go and he learned stockman's study in the greatness class every time the Billy says will less endlessly than man on video and so is that Bob stay diligent in his studies and it looks like from outside right that Billy is one of got freedom abroad is his way, and there's Bob who it would look like he didn't have as much freedom because he got a got all his classes knew of the study and it looks very narrow but you know what happened. Billy flunked out and all of a sudden it was very broad but now is flunked out and emailing not go to Mexico but most of the jobs that he wanted to have these realize they didn't need not about to pursue this path so it was very broad but then it led down to the same to where it was like allows very narrow entity got Bob on the other hand, who looked like he was taken very narrow path, but that he goes medical school and takes fellowship in orthopedic surgery and has a handsome salary and loves to bless people go on mission trips and full 20% of his income to the local church and he just is free. This kid and I thinking another natural example of where that which is narrow actually is freedom in and that is a truth is narrow truth set you free freedom. But what truth if you bump in the sum I am a sailor. Something about visiting Rinaldo's village campus. How you get there to make him ask in what you say. If you care about them unit give them the freedom to find the church would use. I will far be it from me to tell you how you should drive drive however you feel there are many paths and I would never be the one to tell you which path to take.

But I think we as I well you have a go north on Silas Creek Parkway all the way down to Renova Road turn right right pretty churchwide. Remove give them specific because the more narrow the truth the more freeing, it is very little loss to just riding around with no direction.

That's not great. What looks like really brought it is actually what looks narrow is another natural example is that you had a cancer that could be treaty eight treated with radiation and you don't want to go the doctor and the radiation oncologist is okay here's the plan, which is what you did in that room over there radiate everything now your eyes, your knees and elbows and radiate everything make sure you want them to have this evil book puts each focus is the radiation factly. In this is interacting with some I didn't.

Radiation treatment real recently realized they factory in your reading so it hits the target. The morning now, the better the chance of freeing you from cancer like a give you many examples of this in the natural but what I'm saying is if you can imagine in the natural that there are times that which is narrow is the actual path to that which is free.

Then you coming closer to understanding what Jesus means here for I speak of a profound spiritual mystery. Most interpretations of Matthew 713 and 14 go something like this. The way is hard to come to the narrow gate because it's hard to get to heaven and it's hard to live the Christian life and are you willing to go through the rigor that it takes to be saved. Are you willing to give up your selfishness or sand willing to do the hard things it takes to be holy willing to be persecuted and so forth. That's the narrow gate so the interpretations got and sometimes it's more subtle than that sometimes and be more like well you're saved only by Jesus.

But following Jesus is hard and are you willing to do the hard things to follow Jesus, which is kind of just another way of saying the same thing.

In other words, that interpretation of these verses is essentially saying it's it's you have to be good enough to get to the gate and it's hard to be good enough and that's essentially what every religious system sets, it can't be what Jesus is saying because Jesus came to the righteous one.

And Jesus is saying, of himself and he is the gate you understand that in America, most people still say they believe in God and call themselves Christians, and most of those people still some 75% in most of those people which comprise about 75%.

When asked, will why do you think you would be allowed in the heaven essentially say because I'm a good person, never stopping to think about this if if it's like going through a narrow gate and only the good people get through.

Where does God draw the line that centers on a four-point grading scale and a is a 4.00 wannabes of 3.0. It is easy to where's in terms of how good a person you a -3.3 what you really believe that is this line in heaven, and any and all send all the 33938 they'll get in and then three threes that you can think after that, I'm a 3.999 it. If you can't make sense of the gospel says is okay if you want it to be that way you need be perfect for .0 in every arena of your life and with the gospel says is nobody has been so God sent his only begotten son to be such someone that salad will have more teaching moment from today's important series I will restore the fortunes of Jacob's times and have compassion on his dwellings built on her powers. In its proper place as timeless words from general authority for the heart of God to restore way time cities would often be read out on top of the ruins of the former city would stand higher with central walls and a greater perspective pastor right out of the Billings document. Build your life gloriously, yesterday's disappointments to get to Alan Wright Ministries to listen to Pastor Alan's messages, and attractive.

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Call us at 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor at work in today's teaching now continues here once again is what passion author Tim Keller says about this text is so enlightening. He says that you read the sermon on the Mount your reading all these things and start to the Beatitudes, and whose blast not always and you come to this thing about their two kinds of people in two kinds gate to come to treat his Lotta people act as though Jesus is somehow changing the subject uses but is not actually Jesus been talking all throughout the sermon on the mount about two kinds of people and is not been talk about good people and bad people. What is been talking about his two different kinds of good but very different reasons for trying to be good limited.

I can't show you this meant you this by showing you some of the key verses throughout the sermon on the Mount starting in Matthew five verse 20 he said I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and the Pharisees will never enter the kingdom of heaven. What is he saying there is that I'm drawing contrasts now about two different kinds of righteousness but two different kinds of being good is it is gotta be better than the Pharisees will the Pharisees were the ones who were seemingly the most morally good people around keeping all the rules going up. Matthew 61 Jesus said beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them for then you will have no reward from your followers in heaven there people that are practicing their righteousness in front of other people on the end club. I'm better one.

I'm the more religious one and those that are pursuing righteousness by that name to God's people.

In Matthew six verse five he said when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and streetcorner they may be seen by others. Truly, I say you they perceive as a kind of person that even the things that are good like prayer is trying to utilize this to leverage standing in the eyes of others or some sort of reward from God missing Matthew six verse 14 for if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you but you do not forgive others their trespasses in your heavenly Father forgive your trust strongest things Jesus ever said to be, but those that feel righteous and they will hold offenses against others and those who live with forgiveness towards others because they know they been forgiven because people and then Matthew 616.

When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly I say to you they received their reward. When you fasten on your head, wash her face having no when you're doing the most sacrificial thing spiritually even see it.

Think about because people which you one more. This is most pointed Matthew seven verse one Judge not, that you be not judged with the judgment you pronounce you be judged of the measure you use will be measured. Why do you see this fits in your brothers, I do not notice the law so all the sermon the Mount is leading to chapter 7, saying there's a person feels superior to others and they put themselves in the in crowd and they look at other people and little specks of problems with them so I can just make them feel worse about themselves feel better about myself is a blog in their own kind of people about people think that they are getting in because there's so good and yet they're not honest about their own problems and who they really are.

And then there are other people who know I can't be that good.

So I need to have a wide mercy for others. I forgive others. I don't hold judgment against others, and I need to draw upon God's grace to catch people so who are the ones that are in the broad well the ones that are going to description what Jesus saying the ones that are going towards destruction. In this remote mountain of the Pharisees and the Crips in the smugly superior, judgmental people who think that they get in by their own righteousness. In other words, what is he saying he saying the most distraught thing to try to get it done by your own righteousness and that he says is the Broadway because that's what most people do. I go back to look at what all the religious systems say right these things and you get in.

Even people who call themselves Christians in America think I'm a good person so I get it. That's the Broadway but that we lease it is. This is Jesus loves you infinitely know the truth value can be set free lunch. No abundant life he saying all I want you to know is that what looks like is really narrow is the way to life and what looks really brought the thing that leads to a narrow life destruction of these two different kinds of people. So what you saying and he does not love the good people that can do the hard things. They're the ones that come in they say no that's the Broadway in the narrow way. The one last people take is the way drawing uniquely upon the grace of God in Jesus Christ. You know what's hard.

I'll tell you what's hard not following a list of do's and don'ts are an eightfold path, not drinking hot drinks or building up good karma for trying to be spiritual looking in the eyes of others. I'll tell you you are know it's really hard as ever come to a place in your life that you say God shame and I got problems and I cannot fix it myself. There is not one thing within me that can save myself and have tried many different ways, and I realize how. Gotta bring all to you and just submit it all to you because there's no other way fix this one person Jesus. And so it is I release my life in your hands. That kind of honesty kind of place of humility that kind of place that you shrinking down all of your options to you finally admit there is no other option for salvation.

And lest there be someone who is righteous and forgiving holy and merciful, who shed blood has made atonement for your sin into Yukon so narrow that it is all the way down to to a little baby born in Bethlehem under under a Bethlehem sky with peasant Nazarene parents looking down upon him, and that little child who grows in wisdom and stature in favor with God and man until he one day as a traveling rabbi and a hand him the scroll of Isaiah and he takes the liturgical reading for that day and unfurls the scroll and reads the Scripture which includes the words I have come to set the captives free and hands back the scroll to the riches religious authority and announces in front of everyone. Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing who spoke of himself saying one who is greater than Moses is here, and then said pointedly in John 10. I'm the gate and said in fact, in John 14. On the way, the truth and the life narrow please thing is when you come in through this and there is no other way.

You never will be able to save yourself saying this is not a restrictive narrow mind and God is a God of love and life who has brought the only way that you can be saved and come in lived in your midst, and given his all, so that it all comes down to one man bleeding on a Roman cross saying it is finished and a simple childlike trust in his saving work becomes the narrow way that leads to abundant life. So is it hard to be saved.

Know what you mean is you gotta spell Czechoslovakia that if what you mean is you gotta become honest enough that you're like a little humble child says I need Jesus.

If that's what's hard and narrow, then yes, come to Jesus what looks like a very narrow is your gate to the gospel and I hope you hold it close to your heart today. It's our teaching from unleased freedom through the narrow gate.

Please stay with us. Alan is back with us in the studio as he shares his parting good news thought the day I will restore the fortunes of Jacob's times and have compassion on his dwellings will be rebuilt on her powers.

In its proper place.

Timeless words from Jeremiah 30 for the heart of God to restore way time cities would often be read out on top of the ruins of the former city would stand higher with central walls and a greater perspective pastor right out of the ruins help document build your life gloriously, yesterday's disappointments you need to get Alan Wright Ministries to the senior pastor outlines messages and attractive see through digital download as our way of saying thanks for your partnership, six 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor work blessing your life. Grace filled vision for your rights, free grace and encouragement blessing. It's free. Just a click away.

Pastor I got away Alan freedom through the narrow gate.

Now that we've heard this message. I think it really can leave us with maybe fresh vision for what freedom in Christ really means in the end, the narrow gate.

Jesus is the way of grace. In fact, it's a weird thing. The site, but it's easier to avoid grace.

People are drawn towards trying to be in control, but when Jesus says he's the gate he's the door he means that his righteousness and his grace becomes the avenue through which all of life.

It's open up and if you've never done so you're listening today it's an easy thing to say. I am willing to trust Christ now you can do that today and as you do that, it might feel like I am forsaking all these other choices. And what about all these other ideologies. Jesus is the way and the truth and life.

And once you accept them. Then your eyes begin to be open to a whole new world of abundant use message supported production Alan Wright Ministries