
The Narrow Gate
May 29, 2025
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Matthew 7:13-14 - “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. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life,
and those who find it are few.” (ESV)
Judging
Matthew 7:1-6 - “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment
you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be
measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye,
but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to
your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log
in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and
then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. “Do not
give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they
trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. (ESV)
Asking
Matthew 7:6-11 - “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (ESV)
Relationships
Matthew 7:12 - “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also
to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (ESV)
Matthew 7:13-14 - “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. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (ESV)
False Prophets
Matthew 7:15-20 - “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s
clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their
fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.” (ESV)
2 Timothy 4:3-5 - “For the time will come when people will not put up with
sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around
them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” (NIV)
Romans 1:18-23 - “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against
all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness
suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them,
because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his
eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since
the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are
without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as
God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their
foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.” (ESV)
Warnings
Matthew 7:21-23 - “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. 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?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (ESV)
Jesus’ Conclusion
Matthew 7:24-29 - “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and
does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 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. 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. 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.” And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds
were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had
authority, and not as their scribes. (ESV)