03-02-08 #Disciple Bible Study titled: ‘Choose Your Road’

[Disciple]

‘On The Road With Jesus’
‘Choose Your Road’
Matthew 7:13-14
Intro.
Matthew 7 contains the conclusion to Jesus’ great Sermon on the Mount. In the closing we find Jesus using illustrations stressing the importance of faithful obedience to his teachings. The frist illustration is found in verses 13 and 14. It shows the choice that must be made between a ‘broad road and wide gate’ and a ‘narrow road and a small gate’.
The choice is further stressed with the ending result of each road. The broad road leads to destruction, the narrow road leads to life. Our live here is filled with choices that we must make every day. Think of the number of choices you made just go get to church this morning. What time to get up? Take a shower or bath or neither? What to wear? What car to drive? What route to follow to get to the building?
Today some of us are standing at the crossroads in our lives and we must make a decision about which road we are going to travel.
I. Choose Your Entrance
The significant word here is decision. You are confronted with the choice of two ways to enter and you must make a decision. Jesus urges us to ‘enter the narrow gate’. This phrase alone shows us the difficulties and the rigors that are joined to discipleship with Jesus Christ.
The idea of ‘narrow’ gate conjures up images and ideas of a disciplined and focused journey on our pursuit to life eternal. Jesus talks about a wide gate and a narrow gate. It is our choosing as which gate we will enter. Jesus contrasts the two gates, narrow and wide.
When Jesus says, ‘Enter the narrow gate’ the emphasis is not on entering as opposed to not entering. All of mankind is entering one gate or the other. The emphasis then is on making the choice to enter the right gate.
Some people may interpret the wide gate as suggesting that entering through this gate allows them to follow their own leading, doing what they please, and the wideness of the gate allows them greater liberties.
But consider that Jesus may be saying in reality, ‘It is the easiest thing in the world to destroy yourself, and the majority of the people are doing just that.’ The narrow gate doesn’t have room for anything but you. You have to leave behind all the baggage. There is no room at the narrow gate for your unforgiving spirit, for your self-righteous attitudes.
There’s no room for chasing after the world and its pleasures. Perhaps the term ‘narrow’ suggests to us the difficulty that is joined with this road toward life and isn’t this exactly what the Scriptures teach us?
John 16:33
Acts 14:21-22
Because the gate is narrow, many will choose not to enter through it. Many prefer to choose the wide gate without giving any thought for the final destination. The key word again is decision. God allows you to make the choice of which gate you will enter. Choose carefully and wisely.
II. Choose Your Road
Once you have entered the gate, then you are confronted with two roads. Like the wide gate, many people are choosing the broad road. This is a broad road because many are the roads that lead to destruction.
Some are walking down drug abuse lane, some choose to walk on Pride Avenue, some are trying to get into Materialism Parkway, some are traveling Sexual Sins Estate Road. Still others are running down Hate Street. The problem is that some who are traveling the broad road may actually believe they are on the right road.
Proverbs 12:15
Proverbs 14:12
This broad road is the road that has everyone doing what is right in their own eyes. The narrow road is more restrictive and limited. The word translated ‘narrow’ means, difficult to enter. Entrance to this narrow road is not difficult because access is denied. It is difficult to enter because people keep themselves out.
There are two key words for those who would choose the narrow road. Desire and Discipline
One of the great dangers is thinking you are on the right road but deceiving yourselves. If we are going to walk on this narrow road we must have the desire to keep ourselves on the narrow road. We have to have the discipline to not be drawn off the narrow road by the majority who are not on it.
It is one of the great tragedies of the church. That so many do not have the discipline to keep themselves on the narrow road. No discipline for the regularly appointed meeting times, attendance is so irregular, come one Sunday and miss 5 or 6 before coming back.


There is no discipline in their lives for regularly sharing of their finances for the work of the Lord to continue. There is no discipline for keeping themselves pure and holy as they practice the lifestyle of the world instead of the lifestyle that God prescribes for us. What road are you choosing to walk? Jesus said ‘only a few find it.’
III. Choose Your Destination
It is the end of the road that really matters. You need to be concerned with the destination of the road that you choose to walk. Jesus said the broad road leads to destruction and many enter through it.
Phil. 3:18-19
There are many who accept and believe the Bible teachings about heaven being a real place, but utterly reject any teaching about the reality of hell. They are doomed for destruction. Who are you trusting and depending on for information about hell? Are you listening to the Word of God or are you listening to people who are on the wrong road?
Jesus says the narrow road leads to life. Where is the road you are traveling now taking you? What is the final destination of your road? Something you need to remember, A loving God will not make people go to heaven after they die if they didn’t want to go there when they were on earth.
Conc.
Today we’ve talked about choosing the right gate and the right road and the right destination. Your life is filled with choices and God has given us the freedom to make our own choices. He does that also with the choice of heaven or hell, life or destruction.
In the O.T., God told Moses to tell the people of Israel that they needed to choose who they were going to serve. On entering the Promised Land, Joshua told the people to choose who they were going to serve. God never forces himself on people, he gives you the right to choose. Today you stand at the crossroads, which road are you going to choose?
What road will you choose today?