Read Matthew 7:13-14

What roads have you taken?

• Arial of LEFC
• Kansas
• Rothsville
• Wyoming
• South Africa
• Baku
• Israel
• Jerusalem
• Calvary?

The majority of people will get God’s design for life wrong.

Matthew 7:13a “…For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.”

• I have heard it said by some modern church leaders “our understanding of God has evolved to a better place” when explaining away biblical views of sexuality.
  • As long as they love each other for God is the creator of love.
  • God loves you so he would not say or condemn anything that would diminish how you identify yourself. After all, he created you that way.
• Since when does society inform the church as to a better and more informed view of God than what the Bible teaches?
  
  
• If there is a shift in the church’s beliefs and it is towards a more societally prevailing view, it is likely heretical.      

Common principles for society’s life values.

• As long as you are happy…
• Love never says anything that is hard to hear or makes you feel bad.
• Mankind is inherently good.
• Believe in yourself.
• Many paths to God…if he is there.
• All beliefs are equally valid…except for when I don’t like it.
• What’s good for you is good for you and what’s good for me is good for me.
• All biological life is precious and needs a voice unless it infringes upon your choice.

The majority of people are on a path that will destroy them. 

Matthew 7:13b “…For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.”

• There is even a renewed movement in the church to diminish the idea of hell because a loving God could not create such a place.
  • Hell/Eternal destruction is mentioned 160+ times and Jesus spoke 70 of them. Watkins
  • Hell is not spoken of more than life/eternal life/heaven which in reality is mentioned 3x more.
  • Jesus spends more time than anyone else teaching about hell and eternal punishment than anyone else. Luke 16:19-31
  • In his teaching, he spends significantly more time on the subject of life and life to the full as well as life eternal.
• We regularly make attempts to form God into our image rather than letting God inform us of himself through his Word.
  
  
• Getting God wrong, thus the view of ourselves wrong, will lead to a devastating outcome.

Few travel the road and enter through the gate that leads to life with God. 

Matthew 7:14 “But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

• This road is a single path which is an afront to our a la carte approach to life.
  
  
• This road is not popular as it points to a different set of principles for life.

Jesus’ unpopular life principles:

* There is truth and it is not relative, it is absolute.
* Pleasing God is greater than pursuing my happiness.
* God is the center of the universe…not me.
* I am not inherently good, yet I want to be.
* With God’s help I can be that which I cannot be by my own effort.
* Hope is found in God’s character, not my own.
* I need him.

Jesus is the exclusive gate and God marks the path to him.

• He will guide us daily to a purposeful life. Proverbs 3:5-6; Luke 9:23; John 10:10
  
  
• This fulfilling life and eternal life has one exclusive gate—Jesus. John 14:6; John 10:9 
  
  
• God provides Jesus because he loves us. John 3:16

Group Discussion:

1. Give an example of where you have seen “broad path” and “wide gate” become the belief of a fellow believer? Why is it that we as Christians are prone to broaden our view of God beyond or even in opposition to Scripture?  What becomes the ramification of the church and a follower of Jesus if they apply worldly principles to their understanding of God?
2. Take some time to formulate a list of life values that society lives by and form a list of life values the Bible teaches. Compare the two lists as to how “humanity” is viewed.  What becomes the mindset of a person if they follow the society norm verses a divine norm?
3. Read John 10:1-10. What does this text teach about Jesus and about the realities of mankind? 
4. Read John 14:6. What makes this text so offensive to the norms of society? What does Jesus provide according to this text?  How would you explain this verse to someone in your oikos who does not believe?   s