Particulars in serving God

1. Does it matter what
Christians practice in
their attempts to follow
Christ and go to
heaven?

2. Jesus said,
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and
broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there
are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate,
and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there
are few who find it.” (Matt. 7:13-14)
Of the two ways mentioned by Jesus, which
one “leads to life”?
What does Jesus say of the number of those
“who find it”?
What does “find it” imply?
Again, Jesus said,
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and
broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there
are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate,
and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there
are few who find it.” (Matt. 7:13-14)
To what does the “broad way” lead?
Does it matter, then, which gate we enter or
which way we travel?
The question is not: “Are we too narrow?”
The question is: “Are we narrow enough?”

3. Jesus further said,
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s
clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” (Matt.
7:15)
Why should we “beware of false prophets”?
How does Jesus depict “false prophets”?
What is implied, concerning the safety of the
sheep, by this depiction of “false prophets”?
Should we be any less wary of those who do not
claim to be prophets, but nevertheless mistakenly
claim to be teaching the truth of God?
Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice...and they follow
Me.” (John 10:27)

4. You cannot identify “false prophets” by the way that
they look because they can and do disguise
themselves as sheep.
And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself
into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his
ministers also transform themselves into ministers of
righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
(2 Cor. 11:14-15)
How, then, can we identify “false prophets”?
Jesus gave us a key by replacing the figure of
“wolves” with the figure of “good trees” and “bad trees.”
He does this because no distinction can be made
between good and bad wolves.

5. He said,
“You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather
grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so,
every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad
fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad
tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good
fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by
their fruits you will know them.” (Matt. 7:16-20)
But what is the fruit of a false prophet?
The fruit of a tree is that which you get from the
tree.
Therefore, the fruit of a prophet is that which you
get from the prophet.

6. From a true prophet you get the truth of God.
From a false prophet you get that which claims
to be but is not the truth of God.
The fruit of a prophet [whether true or false] is
the teaching of that prophet.
Would you go to a thornbush to pick grapes, or
to a thistle to pick figs?
Should you go to a false prophet to get the
truth of God?
What will happen to “every tree that does not bring
forth good fruit”?
“Every [such] tree…is cut down and thrown into the
fire.”

7. Jesus also said,
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who
does the will of My Father in heaven.” (Matt.
7:21)
We must conclude, therefore, that some who
say to Him, “Lord, Lord,” are not doing the will of
His Father.
Some say they are doing His will but their
practice belies their claim.
If they are not doing His will they must be on
the “broad way” rather than the “narrow way.”

8. “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have
we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in
Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you;
depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”
(Matt. 7:22-23)
It’s not just a matter of calling Him “Lord.” It is
a matter of practicing what is lawful!
Perhaps these thought they were practicing
what is lawful but in actuality they were not!
JUDGMENT DAYJUDGMENT DAY

9. “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do
the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and
hears My sayings and does them, I will show you
whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who
dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And
when the flood arose, the stream beat violently against
that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded
on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like
a man who built a house on the earth without a
foundation, against which the stream beat violently;
and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house
was great.” (Luke 6:46-49; Matt. 7:24-27)

10. What did the two men in Jesus’ illustration
have in common?
Each was building a religious house, just as
each one was either on the “narrow way” or the
“broad way.”
One was building on the rock of God’s word;
the other was building on the sand of human
error.
The former was on the “narrow way” while the
latter was on the “broad way.”
Remember, the “narrow way” leads to life and
the “broad way” leads to destruction.

11. DOES IT MATTER?DOES IT MATTER?
Did Jesus speak as though it does not matter what
Christians believe and/or practice in religion?
Did Jesus speak as though it does not matter which
“gate” one enters or which “way” one travels?
Don’t let “false prophets” lead you, via the “wide gate” and
the “broad way,” “to destruction.”
Did Jesus speak so as to have you believe baptism does not matter?
Acts 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21; 2 Thess 1:8
DOES IT MATTER?