The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
\nAugust 21, 2016
\nLuke 13:22-30<\/p>\n
Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem.\u00a0 Someone asked him, “LORD, are only a few people going to be saved?”\u00a0 He said to them, \u201cMake every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.\u00a0 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, \u2018Sir, open the door for us.\u2019\u00a0 But he will answer, \u2018I don’t know you or where you come from.\u2019\u00a0 Then you will say, \u2018We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.\u2019\u00a0 But he will reply, \u2018I don’t know you or where you come from.\u00a0 Away from me, all you evildoers!\u2019\u00a0 There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.\u00a0 People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.\u00a0 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 (NIV1984)<\/p>\n Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,<\/p>\n As I was studying our sermon text for today I was instantly transported back in time.\u00a0 To be more specific (\u201cSpecificity required!\u201d as someone likes to say) I was transported back to the summer of 2015.\u00a0 Brenda and I spent two weeks in China visiting our son, Jonathan.\u00a0 It was an amazing two weeks!\u00a0 The sights and the sounds and the smells were very different from what we experience here in the States.\u00a0 The language and the culture and the currency were completely \u201cforeign\u201d to us.\u00a0 But there were two specific things, two specific memories from our trip to China that this text dusted off and brought back into focus for me.<\/p>\n First, Jesus\u2019 picture of a \u201cnarrow door\u201d<\/em> leading into heaven reminded me of walking along the Great Wall of China.\u00a0 Most of the Great Wall is about 15-20 feet wide at the top.\u00a0 But when you get to a guard tower\u2014 which always seems to be at the top of a gazillion steps! \u2014 the doorway and the passageway leading through the tower were not really designed for a guy my size to make it through easily!<\/p>\n Then there is Jesus\u2019 picture of the \u201cnarrow door\u201d<\/em> being closed and people standing outside \u201cknocking and pleading, \u2018Sir, open the door for us.\u2019\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 That picture reminded me of trying to get on the subway in China.\u00a0 Huge crowds of people would be standing on the platform waiting for the train to arrive.\u00a0 Once those train doors opened people would literally shove you out of the way to try and get on that train before those doors closed!\u00a0 While I couldn\u2019t understand what people were saying, from the look on their face I don\u2019t think they were saying, \u201cExcuse me, please.\u201d<\/p>\n Those two memories from our trip to China helped me a great deal in developing our sermon for this morning.\u00a0 As we continue our sermon series on various selections from the Gospel of St. Luke let\u2019s study this portion of God\u2019s Word under the theme:\u00a0 As Disciples of Jesus\u2014 We Stay Focused on the Narrow Door!<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 Once again there are two questions we want to address this morning.\u00a0 The first question is, Why does Jesus describe the \u201cdoor\u201d<\/em> to heaven as being a \u201cnarrow door\u201d<\/em>?\u00a0 The second question is, What does Jesus say will happen to those who are left \u201coutside\u201d<\/em> once the \u201cdoor\u201d<\/em> to heaven is closed?<\/p>\n It\u2019s important for us to note why Jesus spoke the words that we have before us this morning.\u00a0 Look at what Luke tells us in the opening words of our text.\u00a0 He writes, \u201cThen Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 During the three years of Jesus\u2019 public ministry teaching and preaching comprised a main focus of what our Lord did.\u00a0 He traveled from town to town and from village to village teaching as many people as He possibly could.\u00a0 And what did Jesus teach the people?\u00a0 He taught them the Truth of God\u2019s holy Word\u2014 especially the glorious message of the Gospel!\u00a0 He taught them that through repentance and through faith in Him as the Promised Messiah there is complete forgiveness for all of their sins!\u00a0 He taught them that because of God\u2019s amazing love the gift of eternal salvation is theirs\u2014 absolutely free of charge!\u00a0 That glorious message obviously sank in for one unnamed individual.\u00a0 Luke tells us, \u201cSomeone asked him, \u2018Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?\u2019\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 How did our Lord answer this question?\u00a0 Luke tells us, \u201cHe <\/em>(Jesus) said to them, \u2018Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.\u2019\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Notice, my friends, that Jesus does not answer this person\u2019s question directly.\u00a0 He does not say, \u201cYes, only two out of ten people will be saved,\u201d or, \u201cYes only two out of ten thousand people will be saved.\u201d\u00a0 Instead of addressing the specific issue of how many <\/strong>will be saved, Jesus zeroes in on the most important issue of all\u2014 how anyone <\/strong>is saved!\u00a0 He does so by painting a picture for us.\u00a0 It is a picture that is very easy for us to visualize.\u00a0 Every sin that every human being commits, no let me re-phrase that, every sin that you and I <\/strong>commit builds a wall, a wall that makes the Great Wall of China look like something a child made out of Lincoln Logs, a wall that separates us from our heavenly Father\u2019s Home.\u00a0 Since this wall only gets bigger and stronger every time we do something that God has commanded us not to do plus every time we don\u2019t do something God has commanded us to do, there is no way for us to get through the Great Wall of Sin that we have built and enter into our heavenly Father\u2019s Home.\u00a0 So what did God do?\u00a0 God made a \u201cdoor\u201d<\/em> for us!\u00a0 God made an \u201centrance\u201d so that we could come into His Home, into His heaven!<\/p>\n Here in our text Jesus very clearly reminds us that there is only one <\/strong>\u201centrance\u201d into His heavenly Father\u2019s Home.\u00a0 He describes it as \u201cthe narrow door.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 What is this \u201cnarrow door\u201d<\/em>?\u00a0 What is the only <\/strong>way to enter into heaven?\u00a0 By the grace of God you know the answer, my friends!\u00a0 It is found right there\u2014 the cross of Jesus Christ!\u00a0 (Pointing to the cross)\u00a0 Jesus uses a similar picture in John 10:9 when He says, \u201cI am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 He emphasizes this truth again when He says in John 14:6, \u201cI am the way and the truth and the life.\u00a0 No one comes to the Father except through me.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n There are many people today and there are many churches today who insist on telling the God who created the universe by simply saying, \u201cLet there be\u2026 and there was!\u201d<\/em> that He must make the \u201cdoor\u201d<\/em> into His heavenly Home a \u201cwide\u201d door\u2014 \u201cwide\u201d enough that pretty much anyone can walk on through\u2014 no matter whether they believe in Allah or Buddha or Confucius or nothing at all!\u00a0 God says, \u201cNo!\u00a0 Heaven is My <\/strong>Home and I <\/strong>say there is only one <\/strong>way in.\u00a0 It is through faith in My <\/strong>Son and what He has done for <\/strong>you!\u201d\u00a0 (Pointing to the cross)<\/p>\n Picture it this way, my friends.\u00a0 In His grace and in His mercy our heavenly Father has \u201cpropped the door to heaven open\u201d with the cross of Jesus Christ.\u00a0 Enter through that \u201cnarrow door,\u201d<\/em> believe in Jesus as your only Savior from sin and you will have the joyous privilege of living in God\u2019s Home for ever and ever!\u00a0 That is the sweet, simple message of salvation as God Himself proclaims it to us on the pages of His holy Word!<\/p>\n But if the message of salvation is so simple\u2014 and it is! \u2014 then why does Jesus say here in our text, \u201cMake every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to\u201d<\/em>?\u00a0 The Greek word that is translated here in our text as \u201cmake every effort\u201d<\/em> can also be translated as, \u201cstruggle, fight or compete<\/em> (as in athletic games).\u201d\u00a0 This word is pronounced \u201cagonizomai.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Does that remind you of any English word?\u00a0 We need to \u201cstruggle,\u201d<\/em> we need to \u201cfight,\u201d<\/em> we need to \u201ccompete,\u201d<\/em> we need to \u201cagonize\u201d<\/em> to enter through the \u201cnarrow door\u201d<\/em> that leads into heaven because each and every step along the way we have enemies\u2014 enemies who are trying trip us up, enemies who are trying to knock us out of the race!\u00a0 The devil is constantly tempting us to sin against God and deny our Savior.\u00a0 The world around us is constantly trying to convince us that the pleasures and the treasures it has to offer us are \u201cbetter\u201d than what God has given to us.\u00a0 Our own sinful nature is constantly trying to wear us down by saying that it is \u201ctoo hard\u201d to stay on the straight and narrow road that leads to heaven so we might as well just give up now and just enjoy whatever time we have left here on this earth.\u00a0 Because of these enemies we need to stay focused, my friends!\u00a0 We need to stay focused on the cross; we need to stay focused on \u201cmaking every effort to enter through the narrow door\u201d<\/em>!<\/p>\n What does Jesus mean then when He says, \u201cmany will try to enter and will not be able to\u201d<\/em>?\u00a0 A literal translation of the Greek here goes like this, \u201cmany will attempt to enter but will not have the resources.\u201d\u00a0 <\/em>Many people will indeed try to enter heaven and will fail because they have the wrong \u201cresources\u201d<\/em>!\u00a0 For example, if someone tries to gain entrance into God\u2019s house by showing up with suitcases filled with their own works God tells them to take those \u201cfilthy rags\u201d<\/em> (Isaiah 64:6) and go away!\u00a0 If someone tries to enter God\u2019s heaven with a homemade pass that says, \u201cI tried my best,\u201d or, \u201cAt least I am not as bad as so-and-so\u201d God turns them away with the words, \u201cBe perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect\u201d<\/em> (Matthew 5:48).\u00a0 The only \u201cresources\u201d<\/em> that are acceptable to the God of heaven are the \u201cresources\u201d<\/em> that we receive purely by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.\u00a0 When our Brother Jesus is standing by our side, when the Son of God Himself has His arm across our shoulder our entrance into our heavenly Father\u2019s home is guaranteed!<\/p>\n That does not mean, however, that we can just sit back, take it easy and dawdle along the way\u2014 which brings us to our second question for today, What does Jesus say will happen to those who are left \u201coutside\u201d<\/em> once the \u201cdoor\u201d<\/em> is closed?\u00a0 Look at verse 25 of our text.\u00a0 The day is most certainly coming when \u201cthe owner of the house gets up and closes the door.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Jesus is here talking about either the day of our own death or the day that this world as we know it comes to an end.\u00a0 Once that day arrives, once the \u201cdoor\u201d<\/em> to heaven is closed we will either be inside God\u2019s house and will take our place at the \u201cfeast in the kingdom of God,\u201d<\/em> or we will be left outside \u201cknocking and pleading, \u2018Sir, open the door for us.\u2019\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Will the \u201cowner of the house\u201d<\/em> accept any excuses for not entering through the \u201cnarrow door\u201d<\/em> when we were graciously given the opportunity?\u00a0 Not a chance!\u00a0 Look at verses 26 and 27 of our text, \u201cThen you will say, \u2018We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.\u2019\u00a0 But he will reply, \u2018I don\u2019t know you or where you come from.\u00a0 Away from me all you evildoers!\u2019\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 There is literally an eternity of difference, my friends, between a superficial outward connection to Jesus and a sincere heartfelt faith and trust in Jesus.\u00a0 Simply having one\u2019s name on the roster of a Christian congregation does not guarantee eternal salvation.\u00a0 \u201cI would have gone to church more often, but the pastor was so boring and I was so tired, Lord,\u201d or, \u201cI would have made more regular use of your holy Word and Sacrament but I was kinda busy, Lord,\u201d are not<\/strong> acceptable excuses.\u00a0 \u201cAway from me!\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 That is the only thing God will say to those who are left \u201coutside\u201d<\/em> once the \u201cdoor\u201d<\/em> of His heavenly Home is closed.<\/p>\n What will it be like for those who are left outside knocking at the door?\u00a0 Remember the fire that Isaiah talked about in our Old Testament lesson today?\u00a0 (Isaiah 66:18-14)\u00a0 Take that picture and think of it this way:\u00a0 we have all seen footage of the terrible wildfires that rage here in California.\u00a0 As horrible as it would be to get caught in the middle of one of those wildfires with absolutely no way to escape, it will be infinitely more horrible for those who will spend eternity engulfed by the unquenchable fires of hell.\u00a0 That\u2019s why Jesus says in verse 28 of our text, \u201cThere will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 To be left outside<\/strong> of God\u2019s House once the \u201cdoor\u201d<\/em> is closed (due to one\u2019s own rejection of what God\u2019s Son has done for them), to be separated from the Lord of grace and mercy for all of eternity, to endure the fire of God\u2019s perfect justice for ever and ever\u2014 well, let\u2019s just say that eternity in hell makes the largest California wildfire seem like smoldering campfire.<\/p>\n Our two week trip to China has left a \u201cmark\u201d on me that will probably last for the rest of my life.\u00a0 Some of you may have experienced similar events that have left similar \u201cmarks\u201d on you.\u00a0 Thank God, my friends, that the \u201cmark\u201d which God Himself has left on us at the time of our Christian Baptism, the \u201cmark\u201d which God Himself continues to leave on us as He works in our hearts and in our lives through His powerful Word and Sacraments, that is what gives us the \u201cresources\u201d<\/em> that are needed to enter through the \u201cnarrow door\u201d<\/em> that is still propped open by the cross of Jesus Christ.\u00a0 Strive by God\u2019s grace to \u201cmake every effort to enter through the narrow door\u201d<\/em>!\u00a0\u00a0 Strive by God\u2019s grace to stay focused on the cross and what it means for you.\u00a0 Then you will always have the confidence of knowing that whether it is on the day of your death or on the day this world comes to an end you will never<\/strong> find yourself outside<\/strong> knocking on the door but rather, you will find yourself inside<\/strong> your heavenly Father\u2019s home enjoying the eternal wedding feast of the Lamb!<\/p>\n To God be the glory!<\/p>\n Amen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost August 21, 2016 Luke 13:22-30 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem.\u00a0 Someone asked him, “LORD, are only a few people going to be saved?”\u00a0 He said to them, \u201cMake every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to 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