Overcoming Sacred Cows: The Narrow Way

Matt 7:13-23"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

21 "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. 22 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?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

The narrow Gate and the narrow Way
The evangelical church has not been too bad on the narrow gate. We are good at saying Jesus is the way and the truth and the life, but what we have not been so great at communicating, is that not only is the gate narrow, Matthew 7 also says that the road is narrow. In other words, there is a narrow walk. Walking the narrow walk is part of entering into life.

There is a narrow way. The principle signs of being a Christian is walking the narrow way.
But here in America, we have fallen for the sacred cows:

"Oh, you have prayed a prayer one time, that's good enough if you meant it"
"Oh, you are just a convert and a carnal Christian, you need to become a disciple."
"Oh you have Jesus as savior but you need to have him as Lord."


You will know them by their fruit
Jeus says you will know false prophets by their fruit. Your best friend is the one who tells you the truth, but we seem to be so concerned to be seeker friendly we are afraid of offending. The false prophets will tell you what you want to hear. They make your church look like Disneyland for Jesus, but the only thing that matters is that you are walking with God.

How do you know that you are saved? How do you know you believed? The Bible teaches that it is not because you prayed a prayer, but because you are bearing fruit for God; because your life is in a process of being changed; you know that when you step off of the narrow path , that God disciplines you.

Look at the way you walk and talk. Is Jesus some accessory that you add to your life, or is Jesus the very center of your life?

Do thorns grow on fig trees or vice versa? No they don’t. So Jesus is saying: Can those who call themselves my disciples, really be my disciples, if they bear bad fruit?

Every tree that does not bear fruit.
Jesus keeps repeating, "You will know them by their fruit." If there is no fruit, he will throw them into the fire. He is talking about hell fire. The hell fire that is coming for the world.

Not everyone who says "Lord Lord."
Here is a devastating scripture. It is devastating because it is talking about the visible church. Why, because only the visible church calls Jesus "Lord, Lord". But here he is saying that what you say with your lips doesn’t mean a thing. Your confession of faith is worth absolutely nothing. But Jesus says, "depart from me I never knew you."

Why weren't they known? Because this person didn’t do the will of the Father.

But he who DOES the will of the Father will enter the Kingdom. I wish that we would start teaching this again. Do the will of the Father as a style of life. Oh, you are talking about works. Yes I am. Your profession of faith is no proof of faith.


In v 22, they say, "didn’t we prophesy in your name." Again this is not the unchurched being addressed. "I never knew you." is Jesus reply. The most important thing is that Jesus knows you, not that you know Jesus. Even the demons know Jesus.

Jesus calls them "You who practice lawlessness." They acted as if they had no law. How many like that are there today in our churches. We teach that the crucifixion has done away with law, when Jesus said to go and make disciples "teaching them to OBEY everything I have commanded" Christians are under the LAW OF CHRIST! In essence Jesus says, "Depart from me those who claim to be my disciples yet you live as though I never gave you a law to obey."


My friends, obedience is not optional to salvation. Decide in your heart for Christ. If you profess Christianity and find yourself troubled by what you have read, examine yourself to make your calling and election sure. (2Pet.1:10) Have you been born again? Are the fruits in your life? Is your thirst for the Lord there? Is the overall tenor of your life towards God? If not, I urge you, repent now and put on Jesus as your righteousness. Turn from your sins and complacency and follow after His Spirit.