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Matthew 7:13-14 - Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. What is the narrow gate?.
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Matthew 7:13-14 - Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. What is the narrow gate?
What is the narrow gate?John 10:7-9 - Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.”
John 14:6 - Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Are Christians narrow-minded to claim that Jesus is the only way to be saved?
Sometimes you are allowed you to have choices… • - Ice cream • - Sports
Christianity is unique in claiming to have absolute truth. Either Jesus was correct or he was wrong, there is no middle ground.
C.S. Lewis stated: “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher.
He would either be a lunatic-on a level with then man who says he is a poached egg-or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this mans was, and is the Son of God: Or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon;
or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.
We must be careful not to get lulled into sleep and believe that even though our family and friends don’t trust Jesus as their Savior they are still ok.
2 Corinthians 5:19-21 - And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
Sometimes the most loving thing you can do for someone is offend them!Proverbs 27:6 - Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.
Assignment for this week…- Pray that God would open a door for you and give you a chance to speak to someone you know- Pray that God would soften the hearts of those around you- Act upon God’s leadings
Matthew 7:15-20 - Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit,
and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
How do you recognize a false prophet and how do you guard yourself against falsehood?- To spot a counterfeit, study the real thing.
Acts 17:11 - Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
Examples:Jehovah’s Witnesses: Deny the Trinity • - Countered by: Matthew 28:19Mormonism: Saved by works • - Countered by: Eph 2:8-9Christian Science: No resurrection • - Countered by: 1 Corinthians 15:20; Luke 24:6
verse 16 and 20: By their fruit you will recognize them:Fruit of the heart, and fruit of pure doctrine. 1 Samuel 16:7 - The LORD does not look at the things man look at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.
Some general guidelines for recognizing a false teacher:1. Does the teacher teach reliance upon God and grace or upon self? 2. Does the teacher preach the true gospel of the good news concerning Jesus death, burial and resurrection?
Some general guidelines for recognizing a false teacher:3. Does the teacher only say things to please people? 4. Does the teacher live a blatantly immoral life?
Does the teacher teach reliance upon God and grace or upon self?John 15:4-5 - Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him,
Jeremiah 17:7-10 - But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.
Does the teacher preach the true gospel of the good news concerning Jesus death, burial and resurrection? - Prosperity gospel - Good works gospel
Does the teacher only say things to please people?- False Prophets in the Old Testament • - Sometimes we need to hear words which hurt… • - David and Nathan • - Peter at Pentecost
Psalm 141:5 - “Let a righteous man strike me - it is a kindness; let him rebuke me - it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it.”
Does the teacher live a blatantly immoral life?2 Peter 2 • - Deny the Sovereign Lord • - Greedy for money • - Follow corrupt desires • - Despise authorities • - Sexually immoral • - Appeal to the lustful desires of humans
Finally, a word of EncouragementPsalm 119:105 - Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. John 14:18 - I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. John 16:13 - But when he, the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.
