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This sermon – Kingdom People and Eternal Destiny – was originally preached 2013.09.29 by Ivan Weaver.
Scriptures used: Mathew 7:13-29, Ecclesiastes, Jeremiah 21:8, Psalms 37:38, Proverbs 11:19, Mathew 24:12, 2 Peter 2:2, 1 John 4:1, Ephesians, John 12:24-25, Revelation, Mathew 6, Mathew 25, Mathew 8:12, 1 Corinthians 11, John, Revelation 22:6, Mathew 8.
The victory at the end of life’s road is achieved by making choices while we have the opportunity.
Life is made up of a series of choices. There are many “forks in the road” that we must pass. Our choices make all the difference where the end of our journey will be.
There is always a correlation between what we choose and how we believe.
Jesus does not end his Sermon on the Mount in a lighthearted manner. But rather he asks us to take a serious look at our lives.
The Choice of Two Ways
Verse 13-14:
We have two options that we can choose from. There are no alternate roads. There are no detours. This is the biggest choice that we will ever make in life.
The Broad Road is designed to accept the crowd. It is easy to blend in. Peer pressure is the norm, fit in with those around you, do what makes you feel good, etc… there is much liberty on the broad road. The broad road gives the message that it is compatible for anyone.
There are few warning signs on the broad road that remind us of God. The destinations appears suddenly. It is a thing that is feared. The natural direction of the broad road is towards destruction. The people who are focused on having fun often don’t realize where they are at.
The picture that is given of this road is that there are a lot of people headed towards somewhere… they aren’t really worried about the destination. Following the crowd is not a good idea, especially on this road.
The only thing that these two roads (the broad one and the narrow road) have in common is that the destiny is fixed. It is final.
The Narrow Road is not something that happens accidently. It takes a decisive action on our parts to enter the narrow road.
We get the idea of stooping to enter, humbling ourselves before God. The way is narrow, we must lay aside the things that will not allow us to pass. Pride. Lust. Fear. The Old Man.
It may seem at times that there is no exit on the highway that is narrow. Walking the narrow road is not always pleasurable… but it leads to life! It is worth pressing on!
We must recognize that the difference between these roads is so important.
Pseudo Prophets
Verse 15-20:
There will be those who come and appear to be the messengers of God. The choices of who we follow must not always be based on the outward appearance.
A diseased fruit tree will give fruit that is not as good or no fruit at all. This is one of the ways that we can identify pseudo prophets.
The test of a prophet is his life. There is no need for us to go “on a witch hunt” we only need to be patient and observe. Fruit will become evident, even if it takes time.
For you and I – our walk with Christ needs to be more than nominal. It needs to be a lifelong expression of our character and nature that have been changed by Christ.
The follows of Christ who submit themselves to Christ can have the confidence of knowing their ultimate destination and knowing that they have a right to the tree of life.
Are you a doing disciple? Am I? Not only are we called to be disciples who “be” but we are also called to b disciples that “do.”
Merely being able to express the testimony of Christ doesn’t make a person a true follower of Christ. How close can one get to their eternal destiny and miss the mark of the promise that Christ gives to those who follow him.
God is not a respecter of persons. The scripture is very clear that there are choices that you and I must make. These choices that we each must make will affect our destiny.
The Choice of Two Foundations
Verse 24-27:
While we are here in this life we have the opportunity to choose our foundation. Jesus tells us that the one who hears the directives that he lays out for us is like a wise man building on a firm foundation.
The sayings of Jesus are the foundation on which we must build. The test of true disciple ship is whether we conform to the words that Jesus shares with us.
There is a time coming when the foundation that we have built upon will be tested. If we build on the foundation of Jesus Christ there is no storm that can sweep us off of our foundation.
Of course there is an alternative to the firm foundation. When a person chooses not to follow the teachings of Jesus and walk with him, they are building there “life house” in the sand.
The time is coming when we all will be tested and our foundation will either hold or fail… the one who chooses to build upon the sand is in a very scary place.
There is no security unless we voluntarily choose to follow and serve Jesus as the Lord and Master of our lives. We need to be alert to the fact that there are choices that we must make that will affect our eternal destiny.
God will not choose for us. He will allow us to choose as we look at life, the way we want to go.
The good news is that we have the opportunity to choose! Let us choose wisely.
Conclusion
Do the teachings of Jesus bring us to a place of awe? Are we moved? Are we touched? Are we prodded to make right choices?
We have a choice to make. It is ours. Our choice alone.
Our eternal destiny is based on the choices that we make today! Let us take a step in the direction of a commitment to Christ.
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