The Narrow Way Peter Fitch, St. Croix Vineyard Sunday, August 4, 2013

Jesus Study Important to include uncomfortable ideas Jesus calls for an allegiance to Himself and His purposes that would look insane if it was without basis

C. S. Lewis (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 would either be a lunatic—on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg— or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us.

Legend? Atheistic response possible But, still, the quote is useful for it makes clear that it’s hard to categorize Jesus—He tends to defy simple descriptions of who He is and what He is up to Brings home the point that He makes many unusual claims about Himself

Luke 13: Jesus went through one town and village after another, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” He said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able.

Luke 13: When once the owner of the house has got up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then in reply he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I do not know where you come from; go away from me, all you evildoers!’

Luke 13: 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, and you yourselves thrown out. 29 Then people will come from east and west, from north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

What I can’t believe... That this passage means nothing or should be ignored That this passage means that only a few obedient Fundamentalists go to heaven and everyone else is locked forever in a painful hell

What does it mean? I’m not sure But I’m drawn to the word “narrow” Why is it important that the door be narrow? Maybe because you don’t get to bring anything with you... Your belongings, obviously, but also not your ideologies You can’t make Jesus serve your nationalism

Context: struggle With Pharisees With leader of synagogue With Herod With people of Jerusalem (city that kills the prophets...)

So how might we enter? With humility With awareness of our own sin (rather than someone else’s) With intentionality and focus Naked, like a child, ready for a new reality

Luke 18: He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

Luke 18: I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Moment by moment... It’s the same This is a great key to doing anything with God’s power... realizing that you can’t bring past success or accomplishments with you You need to be born again in each new situation with the waiting power of the Kingdom of God