This document summarizes a sermon given at First Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi on Matthew 7:13-27. The sermon discusses Jesus' teaching on the narrow and wide paths, and how to discern true and false teachings by their fruits. It emphasizes that entering the narrow gate of salvation requires accepting Jesus by faith, and that one's eternal destiny depends on whether their foundation is built on the rock of Jesus or the shifting sand. The sermon applies these teachings by encouraging believers to remain steadfast in their faith and reminding unbelievers that they can accept Jesus as their savior at any time to secure eternal life.

1. Matthew 7:13-27
“Two Paths, One Choice”
January 24, 2016
First Baptist Church
Jackson, Mississippi
USA
What’s the number one thing?
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1 Corinthians 10:31 NKJV
31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of
God.
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.”
Please Pray For: The Pastor Search Committee
Ross Aven Rodney DePriest
Laurel Ditto Susan Lindsay
Chris Maddux Joe Young
Paul Moak, Jr. (Chairman)

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

3. Matthew 7:13-14 Outline
• 2 gates
• 2 ways
• 2 destinations
• 2 groups of people
Matthew 7:13-14
Narrow Gate Wide Gate
• Difficult is the way.
• Leads to Life.
• Few find it.
• Broad is the way.
• Leads to destruction.
• Many go this way.
Biblical definitions of “difficult” & “broad”
Difficult is the way (Narrow) Broad is the way (Wide)
• Salvation is by faith in Christ
only.
• Constricted and precise.
• The world will hate you.
• 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.

4. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

5. Matthew 7:15-17
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.
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).
False and True Teaching
True False
• Real shepherd.
• Inside is love.
• Good fruit.
• Impersonating a shepherd
(sheep’s clothing).
• Inside is deceit with goal to
destroy.
• Bad fruit.
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.
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.
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.

6. 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.
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.
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.'
“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.
“…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.

7. 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.

8. 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.”
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)
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
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!

9. 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).
Closing Quote by Dr. Tony Evans
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.”
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 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.

10. 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.
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.
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.”
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/