Sermon Text: Luke 13:22-30

In Luke chapter 13, we are going to look at a gate today. We're not going to spend a lot of time in the Scripture today, but I do want you to make it quality time because the subject we look at this morning is very very important. Your eternal destination is very important. Not only is it important to you but it is important to me. My goal in life, since God saved me, is to try and get the Gospel to as many people as I can.

I did not grow up in a Christian home. I was 20 years of age when I was introduced to Jesus Christ. I could count on this one hand the number of times I was in church as a teenager. I never had a lot of Gospel presented to me. I was born in this country and I lived in the city of Miami, Florida that had 67 Southern Baptist churches. Never once did I have anyone knock on my door and tell me I needed Jesus as Saviour. Can you imagine that? Sixty-seven Southern Baptist churches! Now there were independent Baptist churches, all other kinds of Baptist churches, and churches from other denominations that preached the Gospel, but no one ever told me I was a sinner and I needed Jesus as my Saviour, or asked me if I was planning to go to heaven when I die. We're going to look at a passage of Scripture this morning that is very vital and very important to every one of us in this auditorium this morning. Notice verse 22 in Luke 13.

(22) And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.
(23) Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them,
(24) Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
(25) When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:
(26) Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.
(27) But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.
(28) There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.
(29) And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.
(30) And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.

As you read this passage of Scripture, I think you will agree with me that one of the most striking, and I use that word purposely, one of the most striking questions the Lord Jesus ever asked during His earthly ministry is asked here in verse number 23. I think if you'll look there you'll notice.

(23) Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them,
(24) Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

Do you notice that? "Shall not be able." That is very frightening, but stop and think about various passages of Scripture in the Word of God. For instance, an individual sitting here this morning said to me just a little while ago, "I heard about your dad being saved at the age of 76 and my dad is 80 and he is not saved yet." I said to this individual, "You claim the promises of the Word of God." Here is the Scripture I claimed for my father's salvation.

(II Peter 3:9) The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

All! When you stop and think about that, that is a tremendous promise, beloved, in the Word of God and there are so many other promises that we could appeal to this morning. But when you come to Luke 13:24 and the Scripture says Jesus said "I say unto you that there will be those who will seek to enter in (talking of heaven) and shall not be able." That is frightening. That is absolutely frightening when you stop and think about what the Scripture says in relationship to God so loving the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Yet there are going to be those, in spite of all those promises in the Word of God, who will come to life's end and are not going to be able to enter into heaven. And the reason is that evidently they failed to see the truth that God has given to each one of us in His Word. They simply have failed to see it.

The question "Are there only going to be a few people who will be saved?" is a question, beloved, that has been asked down through the pages of history. It is a question to which God gives us the answer in His Word. It is not a question that is unanswerable. If you look at verse 24, Jesus very clearly and specifically says, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate." Now what is Jesus Christ speaking about here?

He is speaking about the various things which men have to strive against to enter into God's kingdom. You and I need to remember that this world is basically under the influence of the prince of the power of the air. The Scripture is very clear there. This world in which we are living presently is under a great influence of Satan. You don't have to be too intelligent to see that. Just look around the world. Look around at that which is going on in the world today and you can certainly see that we are not living in a world that is seeking to obey the teachings and the principles of this Book. You don't have to be a preacher to understand that truth. You don't have to be a spirit-filled child of God to understand that truth. You don't have to be, because when you look at the world in which you and I are living, you will see all kind of evidence that Satan is the prince of the power of the air. The devil is constantly and continuously working on keeping men and women out of God's kingdom. He uses these various things in their lives.

Now here's the question. What are the things Satan uses to keep men and women, young people, and boys and girls out of heaven? Now we all would say, "Sin." Well, that's true, but you see Satan is a little more intelligent than what we sometimes give him credit for. He's a little more intelligent than that. He's a little more subtle than that. So consequently, he uses a more subtle attack or approach to keeping people out of heaven. Let me give you three that I think are so vital and so important in the day and age we live.

At the end of this month, I have been ordained to the gospel ministry for 35 years. I am convinced, as I look at the society and world to which I find myself ministering the gospel of Jesus Christ, that in my entire public ministry, I have never before seen a society that is more subjected and influenced by the pride of their own hearts. Satan is using a subtleness that is working today like it has never worked before to keep people out of heaven. The subtle attack that he is using is the pride of people's own hearts. It's absolutely incredible. That which most people must strive against to get into heaven is their own pride. It was true in my life. It probably was true in many of your lives here today who have accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour.

For individuals to have to admit that they are sinners and cannot save themselves, that beloved takes a placing of pride in a state of lowliness. That, for man, is very difficult to do because basically man is a very proud individual. Yet, there is no hindrance that I think we can point to today standing between man and God than that of pride. An individual who has no pride is a very unusual individual in the world we live today. When we have to admit to someone else that we are guilty or must admit to someone else that we are not guiltless, then pride is involved.

The first thing an individual has to do in order to enter into heaven with God is to understand that they are a sinner, that they cannot save themselves and that they have sinned and come short of the glory of God. That is very difficult for man to do because you see our pride will manifest itself in various ways. One of the ways that I've seen pride manifest itself again and again is when man refuses to accept God's teaching on the human heart. God says that your heart and my heart are wicked and evil. What does Jeremiah 17:9 say?

(Jeremiah 17:9) The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Now man hears that and says, "Whoa, wait a minute. I don't want to accept that. I don't want to admit that my heart is desperately wicked." Yet, that is exactly what the Scripture says. That is exactly what the Bible says; that the heart is deceitful, desperately wicked, and who can really know it. Let's take our Bibles and read Romans 3:10.

(Romans 3:10) As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

That, beloved, is not a message that man likes to receive and is willing to receive in many instances. So consequently, the pride of their own hearts becomes a real detriment and difficulty to man understanding and realizing that he is a sinner and that he is never going to be able to enter into heaven until he first realizes and understands that he is a sinner.

Now here is the second thing that is very very vital when we think about the pride in our own hearts. Not only does man want to refuse to accept the Divine estimate or teaching of the heart's condition, man also will battle this issue of repentance, especially today. You know, to prove this point, it is interesting to see how repentance has become a real issue even in the theological world of religion today. Yet, when you read the Bible and understand what the Scripture says, there should be no issue, no debate, and no discussion over repentance. Repentance is very clearly taught in this Bible; that when man receives Jesus Christ as Saviour, man is repenting of sin. There is a change of life that is going to take place in that man's life. That's exactly what Paul meant when he wrote to the saints at Corinth when he said, ...

(II Corinthians 5:17) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

What do we see today? We see in our world and nation, seemingly tens of thousands of people are accepting Jesus Christ as Saviour and you look at their lives, testimonies, and where they are going and you say "Hey, wait a minute, what's going on here? What's happening?" What's happening is man doesn't want to address, recognize, or accept the repentance teaching of Scripture. Yet, beloved, it is absolutely imperative that we understand that when man is coming to a place in his life of receiving Jesus Christ as Saviour, there is going to be a turning from sin. That's basically what repentance means. It's a military term. It means about-face. It means you are walking in one direction and you turn around and you start going in the other direction. That's the whole issue or basis of repentance.

Yet we find there is a great struggle going on in our world today over that issue. Why is that struggle? It's very basic and simple; because of the pride of man's heart. But I am convinced of this, that there is no one who enters heaven who has not repented of sin; no one who has not repented of that sin. The Bible is very clear on that. The destruction of more pastors in the United States of America in the last 25 years has been because of pride than any other issue you can point to. Pride. And I said pastors; I didn't say people. I said pastors.

Let me show you something else. Go back to your Scripture in Luke 13 and notice what Jesus says there as we read through that passage of Scripture in verses 22-30 in relationship to not only the pride of our own hearts, but Satan is also using, I am convinced, a false confidence. We live in a day and age when many people are seeking to observe various rules and regulations in relationship to their going to heaven. They join a church or they get baptized. Or they have been confirmed. And this is going to put them into heaven. Beloved, there is no place in this Bible where the Scripture teaches that you are going to heaven because you have been baptized.

This week I received a letter from an individual out in western Minnesota. They got a hold of one of our gospel tracts. I don't know how they got the tract but they returned the tract with a letter. The letter was totally given over to baptismal regeneration; that is, the way you go to heaven is by being baptized. I thought for a minute that here is a dear soul who is very sincere and who believes that you have to be baptized in order to go to heaven. What do you think that Jesus did on the cross with that thief when He said, "Today, thou shalt be with me in paradise." Do you think those Roman soldiers let that thief off the cross to run down to the Jordon and get baptized and then hung him back on the cross? Anybody voting for that this morning? No, I don't think you are either and I'm not. Yet what did Jesus say?

(Luke 23:43) ... To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Now I'm not saying that baptism isn't right. I'm not saying that baptism isn't important. As you've heard me say, baptism is right and is important. Baptism is the first act of obedience for the Christian. As you have heard me say hundreds of times from that baptistry, I have said that baptism is a beautiful picture; it is an outward expression of an inward experience. An individual comes into the baptistry and is identifying with the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. They are lowered into the waters of baptism identifying with His death and they are raised up out of the water identifying with His resurrection. Because He lives we live, amen! So, it is a beautiful picture of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. But beloved, there is no saving value in baptism. The Bible doesn't teach that. Yet, the devil has used that to literally blind hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of people into thinking that "I'm OK; I've been baptized. I'm OK; I've been confirmed." You mark this down that the devil is a sly old fox as the children in the beginner department sing. If he can foil or somehow dupe you into believing that "Hey, baptism is all right; that's the way you're getting there", you have bought one of his most cunning lies. The Scripture does not teach it. That's why Jesus is saying here ...

(Luke 13:24) Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

They simply shall not be able. We have many today who are trusting in their profession of faith. I'm certainly not, by any means, belittling or demeaning a profession of faith. We sing an invitational hymn at the end of every service on Sunday morning, Sunday night, and many Wednesday nights in our church, where people have the opportunity to give a public testimony that they have accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour. Beloved, a profession of faith does not necessarily mean that there is a possession in your heart and life of knowing Jesus Christ as Saviour. So, some trust the fact that because they are living that good life, they have made that profession of faith, they are giving to charity, they are giving to missions, and they are giving to the church, that they are all right as far as heaven is concerned. Beloved, that is a false confidence that Satan is using today to dupe many people.

If there is anything that I thank God for in this ministry over the years that God has privileged me to pastor here, it has been for those who have been members of this church who were honest enough with themselves to come to a place in their life when they realized they understood the Scripture that they had never really genuinely accepted Jesus Christ and repented of their sin. They were able, by the grace of God, to step out and to give that testimony. Whatever in the world you do, don't sit in a Bible preaching church for year upon year and leave this earth and knock on heaven's door and hear "Why should I let you come in to my heaven?" And you give an answer and the reply comes as you read here in the Scripture, ...

(Luke 13:27) But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.

My prayer today is that you would know down deep inside where you live as an individual, that you have accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour. There is a false confidence that is manifesting itself in our society and in our churches today that is not based upon Scripture. It is based upon everything but Scripture.

Let me point out one more thought that I want to give you this morning as we look at this message. The devil, I am convinced, is constantly and continuously working on keeping men out of God's heaven, by not only using this issue of pride or false confidence, but as you look at your Scripture, the devil is using a false conception. There is a difference between a false confidence and a false conception.

What is really rapidly growing across the United States today? That's where this message came from. An article that I read not too many months ago stated that the fastest growing religion in the United States of America today is Islam. In that article, the author went on and made this statement. Fifteen percent of the Mormon church today is composed of former Baptists. Fifteen percent of those who are in the Mormon church today at one time were members of Baptists churches. Now here is my question. What in the world are those Baptist churches teaching their people? If they don't know enough about this Bible that they would swallow, that they would accept, and that they would believe the heresy of Mormonism, we must be doing a very poor job of teaching the Bible in a lot of Baptist churches, if that statistic would be true.

The cults today, beloved, are absolutely exploding in our land and in our world. All you will find the cult movement doing is mixing their various doctrines of works along with Bible doctrine. I'm here to tell you this morning that the Gospel of the Word of God is still "For by grace are ye saved through faith." That is still the Gospel. As a matter of fact, to make sure we did not misunderstand that, Paul under the inspiration of the Spirit of God said very specifically ...

(Ephesians 2:9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Not of works! Yet we see today across our country cults just literally exploding and growing by leaps and bounds. You can go into just about any community today and find their presence. As I said not too long ago, on a trip into southwestern Minnesota, I was in towns of 2000 and 3000 people with not one gospel witness in those towns but a Kingdom Hall from the Jehovah Witness. I didn't say, not one Baptist church; I said, not one gospel preaching ministry. I'm talking about any neo-evangelical church or any type of evangelistic or evangelical witness. Not one! But there was a Kingdom Hall. If you think you are going to heaven by following the teaching of the Jehovah Witness, you are so sadly mistaken this morning, according to the Bible.

There is a false conception that the devil is evidently using today very effectively. Yet we come back to the Word of God and we see God calling every one of here this morning with a personal, individual, and immediate responsibility to strive to enter in at the strait gate. Strive to enter in at the strait gate. If you miss heaven, it's not going to be because God did not want you to go to heaven. Now I know, you might be here today and you might say "Pastor, I would like to be a Christian, but I just couldn't keep it." Let me tell you something; once you've got it, you've got it. See, once you accept Jesus Christ as Saviour, He keeps you. That's the key. Christ has kept me, come August 17th, safe and secure for 45 years. That's what He'll do for you.

Beloved, let me say this to each one of you this morning; church member as well as visitor. Whatever in the world you do here this morning, know that heaven is your home on the basis of what this Bible says; not on the basis of what some man says and not on the basis of what some church says. On the basis of what this Bible says, know that heaven is your home. There is a Scripture that I believe we need to be aware of and alert to and that Scripture we have looked at this morning in Luke 13:22-30.

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