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Advent Productions

Benjamin Ng

The Strait Gate

Father in heaven, thank you so much for this past week, for seeing us safely through another week.

Thank you for the Sabbath that is here as well.

And Lord, I just pray that you'd please be with us now, guide us with your Holy Spirit.

And as we study your word, Lord, we need your Holy Spirit desperately.

If we are to even have understanding, and never mind gaining a blessing, Lord, we need to have ears that can discern and to hear your spirit speaking to us.

And so we're just asking that you please be with us, guide us and lead us, O Lord, through this time, we pray in Jesus' name.

Let's turn the Bibles to Matthew chapter 7.

Matthew chapter 7 we're continuing from what we studied pretty much every Friday night we've been going through Matthew 5 6 & 7 and this is the longest or 1 of the longest sermons that Jesus has ever shared.

The Bible says this, Enter ye in at the straight gate, for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat.

Because straight is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." There are 2 gates here that Jesus talks about.

1 is a straight gate, it's a narrow gate.

The straight gate leads to eternal life and the broad gate or the wide gate it leads to what?

There are 2 paths here and to not choose is really to choose.

We all have only 2 choices in this world.

What does it mean when we are studying about this straight gate especially because you know none of us want to go into the wide gate that leads to destruction.

Really the the question that we have in our minds this evening, even as we start out here, as we've read Matthew 7, verse 13 and 14 is, how can we make sure we get in through that straight gate?

If you look at the text here, if you're following along with me in your Bibles, you will see that it's not S-T-R-A-I-G-H-T.

Straight as in straight road, there's no curves around it.

No, that's not what the Bible is talking about here.

The word straight, S-T-R-A-I-T, is a difficult gate.

And it means this, narrow from obstacles standing close about.

Because Jesus is the 1 that's telling us to enter into the straight gate He's the 1 that's saying look you got to get into this straight gate because this is the 1 that leads to what?

Eternal life now is Jesus implying that he's the 1 that's going to make it difficult?

Jesus is not going to make getting into heaven and obtaining eternal life difficult for us.

He's all about making it as easy as possible for every single 1 of us.

So what does he mean that there's these obstacles?

So look, let's have a look at these obstacles, But we'll study this in a minute.

Let's come back and let's go to Luke chapter 13.

Before we look at these obstacles, look at what we have to do if we are to enter in to the straight gate.

This is what the Bible says, "...strive to enter in at the straight gate.

For many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and what?

Shall not be able." So, what does the Bible say here?

We have to enter into the straight gate, but in order to enter in, We have to do what?

Well, that word strive means to contend, to fight, to labor.

Friends, if we want to obtain eternal life, if we want to enter into the straight gate, Jesus himself tells us what?

Or is this just something that Jesus is talking about that seems to be a new doctrine?

Let's turn our Bibles to 1 Corinthians 9 and verse 25.

Yes, in Matthew 7 and in Luke it says we got to get that eternal life, right?

Well, we see it in other parts of the Bible as well.

First Corinthians 9 25, and every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things.

Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we, what?

Those that strive for mastery, Those that want to get gold in the Olympics, those that want to be the best in their sport or in their craft or in their singing, they have to fight, they have to strive.

And so if they do it, how much more we have to also strive, fight, if we are to obtain an incorruptible crown.

Now let's turn the Bibles to 1 Timothy 6, verse 12.

This is what the Bible says, fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, where unto thou art also called and has professed a good profession before many witnesses." Friends, we have to fight the good fight of faith and we got to lay hold on eternal life.

We got to fight if we want to have faith.

Sometimes we like to paint the picture of following Jesus is an easy road, it's a bed of roses.

He himself, Jesus tells us we have to fight.

Let's also go to 2 Timothy 4, and verse 7.

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have what?

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The Strait Gate

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