Sermon #100 Luke
Sermons
Title: “Strive To Enter In”
Text: Luke 13:24-30
Subject: Entering The
Strait Gate
Date: Sunday Evening –
Tape # X-57b
Introduction:
I am of the firm and ever deepening conviction that
most religious people are lost. Most of the people I preach to in churches
throughout this country are yet in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of
iniquity. It is not as easy as you might suppose to find one who truly knows
the Lord Jesus Christ. There are few who trust Christ, few who are committed to
Christ, few who are in love with the Lord Jesus
Christ.
God’s elect, contrary to
popular opinion, are not to be found in every church. It may well be true that
there are few in any gospel church. Many of you, I fear, are yet without
Christ! In the last day, multitudes, vast multitudes of religious men and women
who are absolutely sure they are saved, will hear the Son of God say, “Depart from me,” and shall be forever
consigned to the torments of the damned (Matt. 7:21-23).
(Matthew
7:21-23) "Not every one that saith
unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth
the will of my Father which is in heaven. {22} Many
will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and
in thy name done many wonderful works? {23} And
then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work
iniquity."
·
They believed the truth about Christ.
·
They professed faith in Christ.
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They preached in the name of Christ.
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They performed miracles in the name of Christ.
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They performed many wonderful works in the name of Christ.
·
They had perfect peace, confidence, and assurance that they were saved,
born of God, heirs of heaven, and eternal glory.
But they were lost, without God, without Christ,
without hope. Any honest man who reads these three verses in Matthew 7 must be
compelled to ask himself, “Lord, is it
I?” As John Newton put it in one
of his hymns…
‘Tis a point I long to know,
Oft it causes anxious
thought,
Do I love the Lord, or no,
Am I his or am I not?
Will you hear me, as I endeavor to speak plainly and
honestly to your soul one more time? May God the Holy Spirit give me your
heart’s attention.
Proposition: The
vast majority of those who profess faith in Christ and think that all is well
with their immortal souls are lost, in the broad road of destruction, which
leads to eternal ruin.
Now, I want you to turn with me to Luke 13:24. Our
Lord Jesus Christ says to you and me, “Strive
to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter
in, and shall not be able.” Let us make neither more nor less of
this solemn exhortation than our Lord means by it. And the best way to
determine what he means is to look into the context.
A
Remarkable Question
I.
Our Lord gave this exhortation in answer to a most remarkable question (v. 23).
The Master had been
preaching on the necessity of repentance and faith. He had plainly declared the
nature of faith, how that it gradually grows and spreads, permeating the whole
man, like leaven in the meal. Then, someone asked our Savior, “Lord, are there few that be saved?”
We do not know who asked this question. It may have been a
self-righteous Pharisee. It may have been a curious spectator. Perhaps it was
asked by one of the Lord’s disciples who suddenly realized the impact of the
Master’s doctrine. They had asked such a question before, in similar
circumstances (Lk.
(Luke
18:26) "And they that heard it said,
Who then can be saved?"
This is a fact, which we
most naturally try to avoid, but it is a fact nevertheless: There are few
who are saved (Matt.
(Matthew
7:14) "Because strait is the
gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."
(Matthew
22:14) "For many are called, but
few are chosen."
There are few who live by
faith. There are few who love Christ. There are few who are committed to
Christ. There are few who do not love this world.
A
Sobering Exhortation
II.
Then our Lord Jesus Christ gives us this very sobering exhortation (v.
24).
(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."
The word “strive” means “to agonize, labor fervently, and fight” to enter in at the strait gate. The word “strait” means “narrow, constricted, contracted, or close.”
Here the Lord is showing us
our responsibility. Our concern must not be what others may do, or even what
may happen to others. Our responsibility is to seek the Lord ourselves, whether
anyone else does or not.
J. C. Ryle said, “The gate is strait.
The work is great. The enemies of our souls are many. We must be up and doing.
We must wait for nobody.”
The unbelief and indecision
of others will be no excuse in the last day. We must never follow the
multitudes. If we go to heaven alone, we must resolve by the grace of God to do
so. If we follow Christ alone, we must be resolved to let all others perish if they
will, but we will not perish with them. Whether we have many with us, or few,
our responsibility is plain – “Strive to
enter in.”
We must not go on in our
unbelief, saying, “I can do nothing until God draws me.” It is my
responsibility to draw near to God. “Strive
to enter in.” God’s election and my own inability have nothing to do
with my responsibility. I must “strive
to enter in.” “The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take
it by force” (Matt.
A
Solemn Warning
III.
Then our Lord sets before us a very plain and solemn warning (vv. 25-30).
(Luke
13:25) "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.”
The long and short of that is this.—There is a day coming when the forbearance of God shall come to an end. He declares, “My Spirit shall not always strive with man” (Gen. 6:5). You can make what you want of that. Men can argue and debate for the rest of their lives about whether that is sound doctrine or rank Arminianism. I really have no interests in their wranglings. My concern is for your soul. And I know this, there is a day appointed by God when the door of mercy, which has been open to you for so long, shall be shut.
There comes a time when men and women cannot be saved, even while they live they are dead (Prov. 1:22-31; Hos. 4:17).
Illustration: Noah’s
Generation –
(Proverbs
1:22-31) "How long, ye simple ones,
will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in
their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? {23} Turn
you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make
known my words unto you. {24} Because I have called, and ye refused; I
have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; {25} But ye have set at
nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: {26} I also will
laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; {27} When
your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind;
when distress and anguish cometh upon you. {28} Then shall they call
upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not
find me: {29} For that they hated knowledge,
and did not choose the fear of the LORD: {30} They would none of my
counsel: they despised all my reproof. {31} Therefore shall they eat of
the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices."
(Proverbs
29:1) "He, that being often reproved
hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without
remedy."
(Hosea
4:17) "Ephraim is joined to
idols: let him alone."
Our Lord is saying, “Strive
to enter in now while you may, while the door is open before you, for the door
will not always be open.” (Jer. 7:13-16).
(Jeremiah
7:13-16) "And now, because ye have
done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and
speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not; {14} Therefore
will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust,
and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to
Shiloh. {15} And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all
your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim. {16} Therefore
pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither
make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee."
A Day of Reckoning
IV.
Then our Lord assures us that there is a day of reckoning and righteous
judgment coming (vv. 26-30).
(Luke
13:26-30) "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
Many who thought they were saved find themselves at last under the wrath of the Lamb (vv. 26-28). Your religious profession, your great experiences, your doctrinal knowledge, your mighty works will all be vanity.
NOTE: These verses plainly reveal
to us the fact that all men will see what is right when it is too late. Hell is
a place where truth is known too late!
But in that last day, all
believers shall receive the full reward of heaven and eternal glory (vv.
29-30).
In this whole passage our
Lord is making an illusion to the ancient marriage feasts, which were held at
night. The house would be all lit up. And those who were admitted to the
marriage feast would be in the light. Those who were excluded were in darkness
outside, “outer darkness.” The guests
entered by a narrow wicket gate, at which the porter stood to prevent any
uninvited people from rushing into the feast. When all who had been invited
were in the house, the door was shut. It would not be opened to those who were without, no matter how much they knocked.
(2
Corinthians 5:18-21) "And all
things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ,
and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; {19} To wit, that
God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself,
not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of
reconciliation. {20} Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though
God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye
reconciled to God. {21} For he hath made him to
be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of
God in him."
(2
Corinthians 6:1-2) "We then, as workers
together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace
of God in vain. {2} (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted,
and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the
accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)"
“Come, humble
sinner, in whose breast
A thousand thoughts revolve,
Come with your guilt and
fear oppressed,
And make this last resolve
‘I’ll go to Jesus,
though my sin
Hath like
a mountain rose;
I know His courts I’ll enter
in,
Whatever may oppose.
Prostrate I’ll lie before
His throne,
And there my guilt confess;
I’ll tell Him I’m a wretch
undone,
Without His sovereign grace.
I’ll to the gracious King
approach,
Whose scepter pardon gives;
Perhaps He may command my
touch,
And then the suppliant
lives!
Perhaps He will admit my
plea,
Perhaps will hear my prayer;
But if I perish, I will
pray,
And perish only there.
I can but perish if I go,
I am resolved to try;
For if I stay away, I know,
I must forever die.
But, if I die with mercy
sought,
When I the King have tried,
This were to die (Delightful
thought!)
As sinner never died.’”
Edmund Jones