According To Luke: The Way and the Whining

According To Luke: The Way and the Whining

Opening Illustration:

Just before Christmas, Jett and I visited some of our homebound members. We went to visit these special friends and deliver to them a special gift from our Primetimer Senior Adult Ministry. Jett and I went to see Mrs. Helen Thomas. Helen, wife to John, is a founding member of this great church. As we sat and talked, she asked me if I could do her a favor. Of course I obliged. She asked me to read a selection from the Bible about heaven. I thought for a moment. God brought to my mind Revelation 21. 

Revelation 21:1-4 ESV

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

After I read that verse to her, I asked her why she wanted me to read about heaven. She told me that she could not wait to get there one day. 

Oh friends, I have done more funerals as the pastor of Eastern Shore Baptist Church than I care to remember. I have laid to rest so many giants of the faith. Men and women who deeply loved God and served the church. While those services are sad, for me they are joyful because I know that heaven is for real. I know that these friends are there now, more alive today than they were here on planet earth. When I do these funeral services, I always try to highlight heaven. Heaven is a place where Jesus is, where worship is forever, and where life is everlasting. Who in the world would not want to be there?

Point:

Well, its like that old song, Everyone Wants To Go To Heaven, But No One Wants To Die. Everyone wants to go to heaven, but they seem to want to get there on their own dime, their own merit, and by their own rules. That’s a good thought but it is not very Biblical. In this passage, Jesus points His followers to a central truth, there is only one way to heaven and sadly there are many people who don’t find it. 

Remember, heaven is a place of hope and healing…don’t miss it. 

Heaven Is A Place of Hope and Healing! Don’t Miss It!

Context and Background:

Jesus is continuing His march to Jerusalem. He is teaching and preaching along the way, making sure that every village hears the Good News. Along the way, someone asks about who might be saved. Will there be many saved or will there be just a few? Jesus stops and begins to again talk not just of the Kingdom of God and who will be there, but also the reaction of those who think they deserve access to that Kingdom and are refused. Truthfully, this section of Scripture is a bit nerve wracking. Jesus clearly states that there will be many who believe that they have the key to the Kingdom but are sadly left out in the streets. They thought they were invited to the party only to discover they are uninvited guests. So, let’s take a moment to read from Luke 13:22-30. 

Scripture:

Luke 13:22-30 ESV

22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ 28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. 29 And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. 30 And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

Key Truths About Entering Heaven!

1. There Is Entry And It Is Exclusive vs. 23-24 

Luke 13:23-24 ESV

23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 

Illustration:

A few years ago, my family visited The Ark Encounter in Kentucky. It was an exceptional presentation of the reality of Noah’s Ark. Question, how many doors were on the Ark? That’s right, only one. There was only one way into that great boat. God instructed Noah to build the Ark and God provided only one way for his family to receive salvation. Of course, we know that this would one day mimic our spiritual salvation. 

Point:

If you read closely verses 23-24, you see our humanness on full display. Someone shouts from the crowd, Lord, will those who are saved be few. This is a good question. Chances are this person was a bit of a gambler. He is playing the odds. If there are only a few that will be saved, like Noah and his family, then he better get his act together. After all, Noah was saved because he was righteous in a world filled with darkness. If a great many were to be saved, then he would not have act quite as righteous. He would just have to be better than his neighbor. This person was looking at the situation with a man made standard. 

Point:

Jesus does not even answer the question. This is a common occurrence in Jesus’ life. A question is asked and Jesus answers not that question, but a question that was not even asked. Friends, have you ever believed that Jesus knows what we need better than we do? Jesus knew that this man needed more than odds, Jesus was not interested in guessing the over under of heaven, He pointed this man to salvation. 

Jesus answers that heaven is for real and that it can be discovered. It is not hidden. By the way, the door on the Ark was not hidden either. Some have said that Christianity is to exclusive. How can it be that there is only one way to enter heaven? Why can’t Muslims go to heaven? Why can Mormons go to heaven? Who am I to say that the Hindu will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Friends, I would say that God has made it easy. He has taken the guess work out. All the questions are gone. It is like having all the answers to the test before the test is given. Secondly, I never said that heaven was exclusive, God did. Scriptures do. His Word does. Take any issues with the exclusivity of heaven to God, not to me. 

Point:

Let me say here and now, there is only one way to heaven. That way, just like the door on the Ark, is laid out for everyone to come through. Jesus is the way. He is the key. Without Jesus, we are lost. The Pharisees were going to come to heaven by means of their holiness and piety. Jesus says that is not enough. Check out John 14:6 and Acts 4:12. 

John 14:6 ESV

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Acts 4:12 ESV

12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Key Truths About Entering Heaven!

1. There Is Entry And It Is Exclusive vs. 23-24 

2. Heaven’s Door Is Devotion To Jesus vs. 25-27

Luke 13:25-27 ESV

25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ 

Point:

I talked with a man a few years ago who said that Jesus seemed like a great guy, a good teacher, but that he balked at the claims that Jesus was the Son of God or that He died for his sins. Chances are you have met people just like that. Jesus was a good moral leader, but He was not the Messiah, the Son of God. 

Point:

Jesus claimed to be God. We have to judge his statements about himself as either true or false.

The great British writer, C. S. Lewis, explained in his well-known book, Mere Christianity, "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher; he'd either be a lunatic -- on a level with a man who says he's a poached egg -- or else he'd be the devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse."

"You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."

So Jesus was either a madman, a liar, a myth, or He really was -- and is -- the Son of God.

Point:

Some people believe that all the religions in the world are basically the same. But that simply is not true. Christians, Jews, and Muslims believe in a personal God who has revealed Himself to mankind. Buddhists and Hindus believe God is impersonal and unknowable. But God cannot be both personal and impersonal -- both concepts cannot be correct.

But Christianity is also different from all other religions of the world in one other vitally important concept -- the idea that God reached out to man to save him because man was helpless to save himself.

Every other religion in the world is based on man's efforts to reach God. These world religions teach that man must somehow do righteous deeds or perform religious service in order to become good enough for salvation. In order to be saved a person must pray a certain number of times, in a certain manner, facing a certain direction. Or he must wear a particular type of religious garment. Or he must visit a certain religious shrine or temple. Or he must worship in a particular way.

Point:

Some religions require sacrifice and even the infliction of pain upon a believer in order to become holy in the sight of God. Some extreme religions require adherents to beat themselves with whips or rods to show their devotion to God. Some require pilgrims to crawl on their knees a certain distance in prayer in order to earn righteous points with God. Some religions require worship on Friday; others on Saturday; and others on Sunday.

But in all of this, the striving after righteousness is based on the religious activity of the man or woman. In every other religious system besides Christianity, a spiritual scale hangs over the head of the individual, with all of the sins they have committed on one side and all of their righteous deeds on the other. The person never knows whether they have been good enough, or prayed enough, or worked hard enough to earn the righteous points needed to counter their earned sins.

Point:

The Apostle John knew and understood that not all religions were created equal. That is why he captured chapter 17:3 saying…

John 17:3 ESV

3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

Brothers and sisters, Jesus is the only way, the only door to eternal life. 

John 10:9 ESV

9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.

Key Truths About Entering Heaven!

1. There Is Entry And It Is Exclusive vs. 23-24 

2. Heaven’s Door Is Devotion To Jesus vs. 25-27

3. Destruction or Delight? Choose Your Door vs. 29-30 

Luke 13:29-30 ESV

29 And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. 30 And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

Point:

Church, let me tell you today that you have a choice. You have a choice to follow Christ, obey Him, and love Him. You also have the choice to turn your back on him and go your own way, choose your own path. God did not created you to be a robot, he gave you a choice. 

Point:

But pastor, what if a person is truly good but they never believe in Christ? Surly Jesus would not judge that person. Suppose Jesus was confronted with two opposite points of view on an “issue” from sincere individuals. Would he bless both? Would he respect each point of view and go on His way as we are currently doing or would he re-state what He had already stated and respectfully remind each individual that is only one way, one truth, God’s way and God’s truth? After pointing out the correct position, it would then be up to the one in error to choose whether or not to follow Christ’s way or to go on his own way. If he continue to go his separate way, would Jesus say I respect that view, peace be with you and let it go at that? Or would he continually confront that individual until he was back in the fold. If Jesus accepted both positions, He would in effect be sayin that either will do. If that were the case, then every issue with two opposite positions would be equally acceptable. 

Point:

Brothers and sisters, we know they truth. I want to say right here and right now that there are people filled with sincerity that are going to hell. They sincerely believe that their way is right, they are carving out large portions of the Bible and picking the parts of the book that fit their narrative and they think that they are heading to heaven. It’s not true. Jesus is telling us all that it is either all or nothing. You are either in or out. It is either Him or the world. It is either complete obedience or total disobedience. We will either choose the broad way or the narrow path. The point is is that it is up to us to make the choice. 

Matthew 7:13-14 ESV

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.

Key Truths About Entering Heaven!

1. There Is Entry And It Is Exclusive vs. 23-24 

2. Heaven’s Door Is Devotion To Jesus vs. 25-27

3. Destruction or Delight? Choose Your Door vs. 29-30 

4. Heaven Is Exciting, But Access Is Expiring vs. vs. 28

Luke 13:28 ESV

28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out.

Illustration:

I love Charlie Brown. The other day I saw a cartoon of Charlie Brown and Snoopy, they were sitting out on a pier just thinking about life. It hit Charlie Brown that one day he would die. It would all come to an end. Then Snoopy chimes in and reminds him that was true, but on all the other days we will not. 

So true. 

Point:

When I was in high school, DC Talk released what I believe to be the greatest Christian album of all time, Jesus Freak. Every song was tremendous. There was one track on that album that always stuck out to me. It was called “Time Is”. It was the band’s effort to remind Christians that our time was limited. 

Here is a selection of some of the lyrics…

You got a gift and you best start using it

Cause if you don't you're gonna wind up losing it

Just like the brother who buried it deep

The task was simple but the price was steep

We got a mission while we're on this earth

We need to tell people 'bout our second birth

Get busy like a school boy makin' an "A"

Cause time my brother is tickin' away

Point:

One day, our lives will come to an end and we will give an account of how we spent our precious time here on earth. One day, the option for sharing Christ, for growing the Kingdom of God will be over. Don’t waste this precious gift. God is calling.

Revelation 22:17 ESV

17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

He is standing at the door knocking. Do you know Him? Have you accepted Him? Why wait?

Revelation 3:20 ESV

20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Remember that our lives are like a vapor! Here one minute and gone the next. 

James 4:13-15 ESV

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

Jesus is inviting you today to receive Him. Say YES!

Conclusion: Receive and Share The Invitation of Jesus!