This document provides a summary of a sermon given at First Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi on January 24, 2016. The sermon focuses on Matthew 7:13-27 and discusses the two paths that Jesus says people can choose - the narrow path that leads to life or the wide path that leads to destruction. It encourages believers to discern false teachings by examining the fruits or results, and warns that not everyone who claims to know Jesus or do works in his name will enter the kingdom of heaven but only those who obey God. The sermon closes by emphasizing the importance of building one's life on the unshifting foundation of God's word.

1. Matthew 7:13-27
“Two Paths, One Choice”
January 24, 2016
First Baptist Church
Jackson, Mississippi
USA

2. What’s the number one thing?
http://kwhite75.com/websites/fbcodenville/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/glory.jpg

3. 1 Corinthians 10:31 NKJV
31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to
the glory of God.

4. January Memory Verse
Joshua 1:9 ESV
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not
be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you
go.”

5. Please Pray For: The Pastor Search Committee
Ross Aven Rodney DePriest
Laurel Ditto Susan Lindsay
Chris Maddux Joe Young
Paul Moak, Jr. (Chairman)

6. References
•MacArthur, John, The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV,
(Nashville: Thomas Nelson Inc., 1982).
•Missler, Dr. Chuck. The Gospel of Matthew, Session 5,
Chapters 6 & 7. YouTube Video.
•Lutzer, Erwin W. Ten Lies About God (Nashville: Word
Publishing, 2000).

7. Introduction to Matthew 7
•The Sermon on the Mount is in Matthew 5-7.
•Matthew 5 – Speaks of the righteousness that “His
followers” must possess.
•Matthew 6 & 7- Deals with the external part of
religion in the righteousness that “His followers” are
to practice.

8. What is Jesus saying to us in
The Sermon on the Mount?
•Jesus presents the CHARACTER that describes the true
Christian in Matthew 5:1-16 (Beatitudes).
•The rest of The Sermon on the Mount deals with the
CONDUCT that grows out of that CHARACTER.
•CHARACTER always comes before CONDUCT, because
“WHAT WE ARE” determines “WHAT WE DO”.

9. Matthew 7:13-27 Overview
•This closing section of ‘The Sermon on the Mount’ is
the gospel application.
•Jesus explains that every person must choose
between Him or Satan (World).
•Jesus is clearly drawing the line between the way that
leads to destruction and the way which leads to life.

10. Footnotes on Slides
1. The ESV (English Standard Version) is the translation
used on the slides.
2. Scripture in red are the direct words (translation) of
Jesus.

11. Matthew 7:13-14
13 "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and
the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those
who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and
the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it
are few.
•Enter = action verb to “come” or “go into” with Jesus
saying this is how you come to me.

13. Matthew 7:13-14 Outline
•2 gates
•2 ways
•2 destinations
•2 groups of people

14. Matthew 7:13-14
Narrow Gate
• Difficult is the way.
• Leads to Life.
• Few find it.
Wide Gate
• Broad is the way.
• Leads to destruction.
• Many go this way.

15. Biblical definitions of “difficult” & “broad”
Difficult is the way (Narrow)
• Salvation is by faith in Christ
only.
• Constricted and precise.
• The world will hate you.
Broad is the way (Wide)
• Trying to earn salvation
through works & good deeds
or following the law.
• My own God – self-
righteousness.
• The world will act as if it loves
you.

16. Narrow Gate…Difficult is the way.
Matthew 10:38
38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not
worthy of me.
Matthew 16:24
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after
me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow
me.
John 15:18
18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before
it hated you.

17. Narrow Gate…Difficult is the way.
John 16:1-3
1 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling
away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the
hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is
offering service to God. 3 And they will do these things
because they have not known the Father, nor me.
John 14:6
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.

18. Narrow Gate…Difficult is the way.
Proverbs 14:12
12 There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way to death.
Galatians 5:19-21
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality,
impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits
of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness,
orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before,
that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

19. 10 Lies About God and How You May Already Be Deceived
by Erwin Lutzer
1. God is whatever we want Him to be.
2. Many paths lead into God’s presence.
3. God is more tolerant than He used to be.
4. God has never personally suffered.
5. God is obligated to save followers of other
religions.

20. 10 Lies About God and How You May Already Be Deceived
by Erwin Lutzer
6. God takes no responsibility for natural disasters.
7. God does not know our decisions before we make
them.
8. The fall of man ruined God’s plan.
9. We must choose between God’s pleasures and our
own.
10. God helps those who help themselves.

21. Matthew 7:15-20
15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's
clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will
recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from
thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy
tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.
18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree
bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is
cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize
them by their fruits.

22. False and True Teaching
•How to distinguish between false and true teachers.
- They may all look the same.
- They may be in the same orchard.
- The distinguishing signs will be their fruit.
- There is a growing season before fruit appears.
- The test of time (season).

23. False and True Teaching
True
•Real shepherd.
•Inside is love.
•Good fruit.
False
•Impersonating a
shepherd (sheep’s
clothing).
•Inside is deceit with goal
to destroy.
•Bad fruit.

24. What is the fruit in Matthew 7?
Matthew 3:8 (John the Baptist speaking)
8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
•Repentance = A radical turning from sin that becomes
manifest in the fruit of righteousness.

25. What is the fruit in Matthew 7?
James 3:17-18
17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then
peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and
good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of
righteousness is sown in peace by those who make
peace.
•James described the fruits of righteousness.

26. What is the fruit in Matthew 7?
Galatians 5:22-24
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-
control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those
who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with
its passions and desires.
•Paul described fruit (characteristics) as a Spirit-filled
life.

27. What is the fruit of false teachers?
2 Peter 2:1-3
1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just
as there will be false teachers among you, who will
secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the
Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves
swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their
sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will
be blasphemed. 3 And in their greed they will exploit
you with false words.

28. Discerning the False Teachings
1 John 4:1-3
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to
see whether they are from God, for many false prophets
have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit
of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has
come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does
not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the
antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the
world already.

29. Matthew 7:21-23
21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter
the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will
of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will
say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your
name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many
mighty works in your name?' 23 And then will I declare
to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you
workers of lawlessness.'

30. “I never knew you…”
• Their confidence was in the works they had done.
• Their works were spectacular, but not authentic.
• Without faith in Christ, works are worthless.
• “Knowing Christ” is having a personal relationship with Him.

31. “…depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!”
I John 3:4-6
4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices
lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared
in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No
one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps
on sinning has either seen him or known him.
• John is not asserting sinless perfection, but the believer’s
life is not characterized by a lifestyle of sin.

32. Matthew 7:24-27
24 "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does
them will be like a wise man who built his house on the
rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds
blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it
had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears
these words of mine and does not do them will be like a
foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain
fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat
against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."
• Jesus explains the forecast of life for the choice you make.

35. Applications of Matthew 7:24-27
1. Rain, floods and wind will blow on your life, and you
will be tested.
• The unexpected will come!
John 16:33
33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may
have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But
take heart; I have overcome the world.”

36. Applications of Matthew 7:24-27
2. The foundation upon which you build your life will
determine your stability.
• Build your life from the foundation up.
- Rock (God’s word & promises never fail.)
- Sand (easily moved and always changing locations)

37. Applications of Matthew 7:24-27
3. Build back-up systems.
•Personal values: “What we are determines what we
do.”
•Personal relationships: “Bad company corrupts
good character.”
• Personal faith: I can do all things through Christ
who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

39. Good News for the Unbeliever!!
•At any point along the way on the broad path that
leads to destruction, Jesus will accept you onto the
narrow path that leads to LIFE (Abundant and Eternal)
when you accept Jesus, by faith, as your Savior.
•You can relocate your house from the foundation of
sand to the foundation of the rock by accepting Jesus,
by faith, as your Savior!

40. Good News for the Believer
•There are ditches along the narrow path!!
•When we fall into the ditch (sin), we can repent (turn
from that sin) and ask forgiveness and get back on the
path (fellowship).
•When a Christian sins, he/she does NOT fall onto to
the broad path (Lose your salvation).

41. Closing Quote by Dr. Tony Evans

42. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
John 3:16 NKJV
16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting
life.”
John 14:6 NKJV
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one
comes to the Father except through Me.”

43. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
Romans 3:23 NKJV
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23a NKJV
23a For the wages of sin is death,
• Death in this life (the first death) is 100%.
• Even Jesus, the only one who doesn’t deserve death, died in this life to pay
the penalty for our sins.
• The death referred to in Romans 6:23a is the second death explained in
Revelation 21:8.

44. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
Revelation 21:8 NKJV
8 “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually
immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the
lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Romans 5:8 NKJV
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we
were still sinners, Christ died for us.

45. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
Romans 6:23b NKJV
23b but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Revelation 21:7 NKJV
7 “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and
he shall be My son.”
• Romans 10:9-10 explains to us how to be an overcomer.

46. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
Romans 10:9-10 NKJV
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in
your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the
mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:13 NKJV
13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”

47. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
If you have questions or would like to know more, Please, contact First
Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or
http://firstbaptistjackson.org/contact/