Bible Talks - Traditional Church (Sunday 8am)
Choose You This Day
Sunday, 16 July 2006
The New Testament lesson that was read to us comes from the concluding paragraphs 0f the Sermon On The Mount. In them ,Jesus clearly presents the choices that are before us. Is it going to be the prevailing culture or the Christian counter-culture; is it going to be the kingdom of Satan or the kingdom of God?
Jesus has talked about the contrast between 2 treasures, two styles of piety, two masters, and the two ambitions. Jesus now asks us are we going to take the broad path or the narrow path? Are we going to choose the true teachers or the false teachers? Are we going to choose words or deeds and finally are we going to build our life, in both this world and the next on a sinking foundation or a sure foundation?
The choice placed before us by Jesus is simple and absolute. It is either one or the other. The narrow gate with its hard way that leads to life or the wide gate with its easy path that leads to destruction.
The problem, I suppose for most people, is that they look mainly at the gate, the number passing through, and the difficulties on the road ahead rather than the destination. We are so locked up in our desire to be like everyone else and to be liked by everyone else that we are unwilling to stand out from the crowd and examine for ourselves just where everyone is headed.
Jesus contrasts firstly the two gates. The gate leading to the easy way is wide. It's a simple matter to get onto this road. In fact you don't really even have to try. Just drift along, and this is where you'll end up. You can take along with you whatever you like, there's plenty of room and nobody's very fussy. You can take along with you any manner of sin, self-righteousness or pride. You can be swept through it with your mates, no one checks your pass, your ticket or your credentials.
In contrast there is the narrow gate. It's a bit hidden. You have to look for it. In another place Jesus said that it's as narrow as the eye of a needle. No excess baggage here. No sin, no covetousness, no selfish ambition. You can't get carried through with your mates. In fact even family connections don't count. You have to have your own ticket or more importantly a personal invitation. Jesus said (John 10:9) "I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved."
Secondly he contrasts the two roads. The easy road is very accommodating of a wide diversity of opinions, laxity of morals, permissiveness, tolerance. It has no curbs on thought or conduct. People on the broad way are free to follow their own inclinations, their own desires, their own hearts. The other road, however, is narrow, confined, restricting, limited.
The third contrast is the two crowds. Or rather there is one crowd who take the wide gate leading to the easy road while only a few take the narrow gate and the hard road. The easy path is the one that most people take. We' all like to be part of the crowd, members of the in-group. Well they're all on this road. Popularity is the measure of success. The majority is always right.
WRONG. Because what really matters is where the road goes. In Proverbs 14:12 we read, " There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." If we conform to the culture of this world then we will choose the wide gate, the easy path; we'll go with the crowd; all the way to destruction. On the other hand, the narrow gate, the difficult path1 with just a handful of people on it leads to life.
Moses put it clearly to the Israelites on Mt. Sinai "See I have set before you this day life and death, good and evil, blessing and curse; therefore choose life." Joshua, a generation later as he led the Israelites into the promised land said, "Choose you this day whom you will serve?... but as for me and my house, we will choose the Lord." In fact you will find this verse on a plaque on my front door.
There are only two choices. If you make the wrong one because it was too difficult to decide, or too hard to stick to or even too lonely as you followed it then when you get to the end it's too late to go back. In John 14:6 Jesus said, "! am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." This exclusive claim of Jesus is a real stumbling block to those who want to an easy way to heaven.
In order to guard against taking the false path that leads to destruction, Jesus tells us to watch out for false prophets, or these days we would say false teachers. The prophet Jeremiah contrasted false prophets who "speak visions of their own minds" with true prophets who "stand in the council of the Lord". Jesus taught that there is a clear objective truth that comes from God that excludes other opinions. He describes false teachers as dangerous and deceptive. The good pastor feeds his flock with the truth of God's word while the false prophet allows error and controversy. He's not fussy who teaches what.
The Apostle Paul said to the elders at Ephesus as he was leaving them, 'I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them."
One of the principal forms of false teaching around today, as it was in the time of the prophets and in Jesus' own time, is the denial that God is the God of judgment as well as the God of love and mercy. From too many sources today we hear a message only of love and hope without any teaching of God's judgment against sin. If people are not convinced of their sinfulness and the terrible consequences that follow from it they will not turn to Christ to receive God's forgiveness which is the only way to share in that hope and love. The easy path, taught by the false teachers is that the hope and love are for everyone not just for those who turn to Christ. Jesus tells us that we can tell them from their fruits. Fruit however can take a long time to ripen and other parts of scripture give us 3 tests to be applied to our teachers.
1. The moral test - How do they live ?
2. The Social test - How much do they love ?
3. The Doctrinal test - What do they teach ?
and if they don't measure up in all 3 areas then don't listen to them.
Perhaps even more of a worry to me as a teacher is the bit, 'Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we; not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers.''
Here Jesus is giving a warning not so much to the people being led astray but to the false teachers themselves.
In conclusion to his sermon, Jesus puts the choice clearly before his hearers in the parable of the wise and foolish builders. Are we going to build on the sands of shifting opinion, the wisdom of this present age, or on the firm rock of God's truth as taught to us by Jesus?
The contrast is between hearing Jesus' words and putting them into practice and merely hearing them. Intellectual assent is not enough we have to actually get on the road that leads to life. EXAMPLE: The difference between a theologian and a Christian.
So what we end up with in the Sermon On The Mount is not a string of ethical rules to follow which will lead you to heaven. Though a lot of people talk about the Sermon on the Mount as though this is what it is. What we have is a challenge to make a radical choice, To go along with the culture or ethos of our society which is complacently pursuing its path to hell or to choose the path of obedience to God's word that runs counter to the prevailing culture but leads ultimately to life.
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Which way do you choose.
Let us pray.