WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:09.240 Father, your word has just said things which probably most people in Canada would find very deeply offensive. 00:00:10.640 --> 00:00:19.480 And Father, some of us, if we were honest with you, we find the words very uncomfortable, maybe even depressing. 00:00:20.379 --> 00:00:22.539 Father, you know what's going on in our hearts. 00:00:22.539 --> 00:00:25.160 You know our loves and our fears. 00:00:25.899 --> 00:00:37.380 We ask, Father, that your Holy Spirit would gently but deeply take the words of Jesus and have them go deep into our heart, the center of who we are, deep into our mind and deep into our wills. 00:00:38.039 --> 00:00:45.439 That our minds might increasingly have the mind of Jesus and our hearts might have the heart of Jesus. 00:00:46.539 --> 00:00:49.840 And that Jesus would truly be our Savior and our Lord. 00:00:50.340 --> 00:00:54.579 And all this we ask in the name of Jesus, your Son and our Savior. Amen. 00:00:55.159 --> 00:00:56.399 Please be seated. 00:01:03.419 --> 00:01:06.399 Is Christianity exclusive and intolerant? 00:01:07.899 --> 00:01:10.060 You just heard the gospel text. 00:01:10.679 --> 00:01:13.739 Is Christianity exclusive and intolerant? 00:01:13.739 --> 00:01:25.259 Can we, like a lot of Christians, pass off the exclusivity and intolerance as a product of Christendom or as a product of bad churches or bad Christians? 00:01:25.659 --> 00:01:30.019 Or is the problem actually go right back to Jesus? 00:01:30.639 --> 00:01:34.259 Is Jesus exclusive and intolerant? 00:01:34.260 --> 00:01:37.200 That's the big question. 00:01:38.140 --> 00:01:45.620 And I think maybe if you weren't paying attention, we're going to look at the text because for some of us it would be, it's a bit of a terrifying text. 00:01:46.380 --> 00:01:50.140 It's a very un-Canadian and very unpalatable to us. 00:01:50.140 --> 00:01:56.140 So it would be a great help to me if you got your Bibles and open them up to Luke chapter 13 verse 22. 00:01:56.780 --> 00:01:58.219 And let's look at the text. 00:01:58.219 --> 00:02:03.000 Let's, in a sense, be gripped by it, by what it says. 00:02:03.159 --> 00:02:06.859 Hear it and ask the deep questions. 00:02:06.939 --> 00:02:12.259 Because it asks a question which ever since I was in high school 100 million years ago, 00:02:12.379 --> 00:02:18.039 a very, very common objection to the Christian faith is the exclusivity of the Christian faith. 00:02:18.199 --> 00:02:22.659 It's a common objection that I've heard for many, many, many, many decades. 00:02:22.659 --> 00:02:26.180 And this text directly comes at it. 00:02:26.759 --> 00:02:28.939 So it's Luke chapter 13 verse 22. 00:02:29.060 --> 00:02:32.680 If you don't have Bibles with you, there's always Bibles at the front of the church, which you're welcome to take. 00:02:32.979 --> 00:02:36.639 Keep them afterwards if you'd like as a gift or you could return them afterwards. 00:02:37.259 --> 00:02:38.719 And here's how the text goes. 00:02:38.919 --> 00:02:41.019 Luke chapter 13 verse 22. 00:02:41.979 --> 00:02:47.780 Jesus went on his way through towns and villages teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. 00:02:47.780 --> 00:02:54.439 And someone said to him, Lord, will those who are saved be few? 00:02:55.560 --> 00:02:59.360 Lord, will those who are saved be few? 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:01.939 That's the big question. 00:03:03.259 --> 00:03:04.439 It's a big question. 00:03:05.560 --> 00:03:07.159 So how's Jesus going to answer it? 00:03:08.219 --> 00:03:10.039 He goes in verse 24. 00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:11.539 He says this. 00:03:11.539 --> 00:03:12.800 And he said to them, 00:03:12.800 --> 00:03:15.880 Strive to enter through the narrow door. 00:03:16.540 --> 00:03:20.620 For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 00:03:22.460 --> 00:03:24.219 Many of us cry at that text. 00:03:28.160 --> 00:03:31.760 You wouldn't believe how hard it is to organize moments like that, actually. 00:03:33.220 --> 00:03:35.500 There's somebody out there actually waiting to hear this, 00:03:35.560 --> 00:03:38.620 and then they pinch the kids just to make them cry at the right moment. 00:03:39.240 --> 00:03:40.600 No, that's not true. 00:03:40.700 --> 00:03:41.780 That's absolutely not true. 00:03:41.780 --> 00:03:42.939 I'll say it again. 00:03:43.159 --> 00:03:45.020 Strive to enter through the narrow door. 00:03:45.560 --> 00:03:48.939 For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 00:03:49.800 --> 00:03:52.080 Now, just a couple of things about this text. 00:03:52.180 --> 00:03:54.240 First of all, we see that the word saved, 00:03:54.979 --> 00:04:00.159 which many people in our culture think is connected just to a certain branch of Christianity, 00:04:00.759 --> 00:04:02.240 is actually a Bible word. 00:04:02.860 --> 00:04:06.300 And at no point in time in the text does Jesus reject the word. 00:04:06.300 --> 00:04:14.260 He accepts the word, accepts the question, and answers the question, and explains in part the word. 00:04:14.939 --> 00:04:19.720 But the word saved is a Bible word, not a church party word. 00:04:19.720 --> 00:04:26.540 But the next two things are actually far more worrisome, especially given what Jesus accepts the word saved. 00:04:26.880 --> 00:04:33.620 The first is that Jesus says that there is a narrow door, and that there's only a narrow door. 00:04:33.620 --> 00:04:45.120 And if that's not troublesome enough to many of us in Canada, he goes on to say that people will want to enter that narrow door and won't be allowed to. 00:04:45.120 --> 00:04:52.680 In other words, for many of us, hoping that Jesus is going to give a pluralistic and tolerant answer, 00:04:54.220 --> 00:04:59.459 he actually, not only does he worry us with the narrow door, but he seems to actually make it worse. 00:04:59.759 --> 00:05:08.439 He touches on all of our deep fears of being excluded by saying that some will want to enter and they won't be able to. 00:05:10.040 --> 00:05:11.899 Well, does Jesus qualify this? 00:05:11.899 --> 00:05:14.779 He actually, well, we'll read. 00:05:15.939 --> 00:05:21.979 He actually, at least just to grasp it in the first reading of the text, he actually seems to make it worse. 00:05:23.039 --> 00:05:24.039 Verse 25. 00:05:26.419 --> 00:05:31.060 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, 00:05:32.019 --> 00:05:35.500 and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door saying, 00:05:35.620 --> 00:05:39.479 Lord, open to us, then he will answer you, I do not know where you come from. 00:05:39.480 --> 00:05:43.939 Then you will begin to say, we ate and drank in your presence and you taught in our streets. 00:05:44.240 --> 00:05:47.460 But he will say, I tell you, I do not know where you come from. 00:05:47.580 --> 00:05:49.620 Depart from me, all you workers of evil. 00:05:50.340 --> 00:05:54.360 In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 00:05:54.420 --> 00:05:58.720 When you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, 00:05:59.200 --> 00:06:00.860 but you yourselves cast out. 00:06:00.860 --> 00:06:07.740 And people will come from east and west and from north and south and recline at table in the kingdom of God. 00:06:08.139 --> 00:06:13.560 And behold, some are last who will be first and some are first who will be last. 00:06:13.560 --> 00:06:24.560 So this text, in a sense, you know, we think that when you die, you go to a better place. 00:06:24.800 --> 00:06:26.340 That's the typical Canadian view. 00:06:26.639 --> 00:06:33.379 And we think that Jesus will promote happiness and peaceful thoughts and calmness. 00:06:33.379 --> 00:06:39.159 But the text makes clear that not only is there a narrow door, but that at some point in time, 00:06:39.240 --> 00:06:41.019 the door which is open will be shut. 00:06:41.480 --> 00:06:44.600 And who is it who shuts the narrow door but Jesus? 00:06:45.500 --> 00:06:49.139 Jesus is the master of the house who shuts the door. 00:06:50.240 --> 00:06:55.439 And his shutting of the door means that there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 00:06:55.439 --> 00:06:59.819 And it's a very shocking text. 00:07:00.819 --> 00:07:08.019 For many of us, it's not the sort of Bible text we'd want one of our friends to bring to us 00:07:08.019 --> 00:07:09.740 and ask us to do a study. 00:07:10.839 --> 00:07:14.579 It's not something we'd want to have discussed by a professor in class 00:07:14.579 --> 00:07:20.319 or around the coffee break table in the place where you work 00:07:20.319 --> 00:07:24.159 or at the play group where you brought the kids, where the kids are playing 00:07:24.160 --> 00:07:26.620 and somebody says, let's talk about passages in the Bible. 00:07:27.200 --> 00:07:31.040 And if they've read out this text, your hearts would sink. 00:07:32.520 --> 00:07:34.720 You'd say, why don't we talk about another text? 00:07:36.240 --> 00:07:37.720 Or at least you'd be thinking that. 00:07:39.120 --> 00:07:42.720 Well, was Jesus, maybe he was just ignorant. 00:07:43.879 --> 00:07:46.620 You know, this is going to be hard for younger people to believe. 00:07:48.200 --> 00:07:53.180 Here's going to be one of my old person moments. 00:07:54.160 --> 00:07:59.400 I graduated from high school 100 million years ago in Ottawa. 00:07:59.580 --> 00:08:04.200 And when I graduated from high school, it was, I think, a school that had 1,400 or 1,500 people in it that year. 00:08:04.200 --> 00:08:09.460 So my graduating class was like eight classes, all with like 25, 30 people in them. 00:08:09.760 --> 00:08:14.680 But in the entire high school, there were two people who were Chinese. 00:08:15.360 --> 00:08:18.600 Out of like 1,400, 1,500 students, two who were Chinese, 00:08:18.600 --> 00:08:23.320 two who were from India, and two that were black. 00:08:23.740 --> 00:08:25.360 The rest were white. 00:08:28.020 --> 00:08:31.680 Interestingly enough, the two Chinese were both Christians. 00:08:31.680 --> 00:08:38.980 And one of the black people was the head student in our graduating year. 00:08:39.519 --> 00:08:40.620 Just a bit of an aside. 00:08:41.060 --> 00:08:42.539 But maybe Jesus is just ignorant. 00:08:43.639 --> 00:08:48.379 Like maybe Jesus just isn't aware of the fact that there's this pluralistic world out there 00:08:48.379 --> 00:08:51.740 and that there's lots of different gods and there's lots of different paths. 00:08:51.879 --> 00:08:54.759 Maybe Jesus is just a Galilean peasant. 00:08:54.759 --> 00:09:02.299 And granted, he has lots of, you know, he likes to rub, you know, rub the politically powerful the wrong way 00:09:02.299 --> 00:09:05.580 and he loves to, you know, he likes to support the people and all that. 00:09:05.620 --> 00:09:07.840 But he's sort of a man of his day, a man of his age. 00:09:07.860 --> 00:09:11.559 And he's just sort of ignorant of the broader social things that are going on. 00:09:11.600 --> 00:09:12.559 Just not well important. 00:09:12.980 --> 00:09:14.240 Is that what's going on with Jesus? 00:09:14.620 --> 00:09:18.500 Well, actually, the very next words show that Jesus, that's not what's going on with Jesus, 00:09:18.720 --> 00:09:19.840 if we'd continue reading. 00:09:19.840 --> 00:09:25.540 And actually, in the very first words of verse 31, at the level of the original language, 00:09:26.300 --> 00:09:28.460 these are connecting words. 00:09:28.740 --> 00:09:33.019 It's showing that you need to, if you're going to begin with the question, 00:09:33.139 --> 00:09:34.500 will those who are saved be few? 00:09:34.600 --> 00:09:39.440 You need to continue reading on past verse 30 into verse 31 and on. 00:09:39.560 --> 00:09:43.720 It's all part of how Luke and Jesus explain the answer to the question. 00:09:44.440 --> 00:09:45.780 But it goes on in verse 31. 00:09:45.779 --> 00:09:50.459 At the very hour, that very hour, some Pharisees came and said to Jesus, 00:09:50.879 --> 00:09:54.199 get away from here for Herod wants to kill you. 00:09:55.159 --> 00:09:57.740 And Jesus said to them, go and tell that fox. 00:09:58.699 --> 00:10:02.539 Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow. 00:10:02.620 --> 00:10:04.919 And the third day I finish my course. 00:10:05.720 --> 00:10:14.019 Now, here's the thing about this right off the bat is that Herod isn't Jewish. 00:10:15.779 --> 00:10:22.039 And everybody, I mean, we might not know it, but everybody in Jesus' day knows that Herod's not Jewish. 00:10:23.100 --> 00:10:27.980 And so Luke, who's writing this gospel primarily to pagans and skeptics, 00:10:28.100 --> 00:10:34.259 puts right in there a non-Jewish person, a person who worships other gods, 00:10:34.379 --> 00:10:36.120 puts it right in there in the text. 00:10:36.819 --> 00:10:39.179 And in fact, we might not remember it or think about it, 00:10:39.199 --> 00:10:40.919 but in fact, Jesus grew up in Galilee. 00:10:41.059 --> 00:10:41.659 He's ministering. 00:10:41.720 --> 00:10:43.000 He's speaking right now in Galilee. 00:10:43.000 --> 00:10:47.299 And one of the reasons that Galilee was sort of looked down upon by people in Jerusalem 00:10:47.299 --> 00:10:51.659 was not just because it was rural, but also because it was multicultural, 00:10:52.440 --> 00:10:56.419 that it was a mixed area where Jews and non-Jews lived together, 00:10:56.419 --> 00:10:59.220 where those who worshiped the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob 00:10:59.220 --> 00:11:04.559 coexisted as neighbors with people who did not worship the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. 00:11:04.879 --> 00:11:08.840 And on top of all of that, every single Jewish person would have been seen regularly 00:11:08.840 --> 00:11:11.759 unless they lived in a very, very remote village, Roman soldiers, 00:11:12.340 --> 00:11:14.040 who were over the entire area. 00:11:14.100 --> 00:11:15.720 And Roman soldiers were all pagans. 00:11:15.820 --> 00:11:21.180 In fact, Jesus would have been deeply aware of the fact that there were many, 00:11:21.300 --> 00:11:25.120 many different gods and many different beliefs about the different ways to God. 00:11:25.259 --> 00:11:30.200 And he probably even knew that the Roman Empire was, in fact, from our point of view, 00:11:30.259 --> 00:11:32.720 a pluralistic world when it came to religion. 00:11:32.720 --> 00:11:34.519 It was polytheistic. 00:11:34.660 --> 00:11:41.879 In fact, Jesus' words so far would have been an offense to the Jewish people 00:11:41.879 --> 00:11:44.720 who believed that all Jews would one day be saved by the Messiah. 00:11:45.120 --> 00:11:47.040 And Jesus is implying that they won't. 00:11:48.220 --> 00:11:52.460 But that in a planet with, I don't know how many, hundreds of millions of people, 00:11:52.920 --> 00:11:56.600 there were only one tiny little group of people who believed in one God 00:11:56.600 --> 00:11:58.580 and weren't polytheists, and that's where the Jews. 00:11:58.580 --> 00:12:03.040 And Jesus would have known that. 00:12:03.660 --> 00:12:04.860 So Jesus isn't ignorant. 00:12:06.080 --> 00:12:11.440 And the text reminds us that he's not ignorant by bringing in a non-Jewish reference 00:12:11.440 --> 00:12:17.660 to help us know that, okay, whatever is going on with the words of Jesus, 00:12:17.879 --> 00:12:21.180 it can't be that he's not aware of an option. 00:12:23.680 --> 00:12:28.340 He's very aware of an option of being pluralistic. 00:12:28.580 --> 00:12:31.460 And he's not afraid of dying. 00:12:32.560 --> 00:12:37.540 So it's not that he's not going to say this because he's worried about offending people. 00:12:37.860 --> 00:12:42.100 In fact, he says to Herod, by calling Herod a fox, 00:12:42.780 --> 00:12:51.240 he's calling Herod a deceptive, deceiving, sort of slimy character. 00:12:51.240 --> 00:12:53.740 So he's not afraid to offend. 00:12:55.159 --> 00:13:00.960 And he's not about to be silenced, which might have been a little bit about what the Pharisees were trying to do when Jesus spoke. 00:13:02.220 --> 00:13:03.340 So what's going on? 00:13:04.279 --> 00:13:06.259 Well, let's continue just to finish reading. 00:13:06.360 --> 00:13:07.820 I sort of stopped a bit too early. 00:13:07.820 --> 00:13:09.820 So verse 33. 00:13:11.900 --> 00:13:14.440 Nevertheless, remember he says, so go back to 32. 00:13:14.840 --> 00:13:18.500 Go tell that fox, behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow. 00:13:18.560 --> 00:13:20.000 And the third day I finish my course. 00:13:20.500 --> 00:13:21.840 That doesn't mean literal three days. 00:13:21.900 --> 00:13:25.260 It's just saying he has a course that he's following, that he's going along. 00:13:25.640 --> 00:13:26.240 Verse 33. 00:13:26.240 --> 00:13:30.940 Nevertheless, I must go my way today and tomorrow and the day following, 00:13:31.080 --> 00:13:34.779 for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem. 00:13:35.500 --> 00:13:37.320 Just sort of pause there for a second. 00:13:38.279 --> 00:13:41.200 In the original language, must sort of has a bit of a sense of it, 00:13:41.240 --> 00:13:43.139 but it's far stronger in the original language. 00:13:43.899 --> 00:13:46.940 And afterwards, some of you can tell me how I pronounce the word. 00:13:47.299 --> 00:13:50.659 I've heard it pronounced two different ways, so I'm not sure which is the right way to pronounce it. 00:13:50.659 --> 00:13:56.379 But the word must in the original language is a telos or telos word. 00:13:57.079 --> 00:14:07.199 It's the idea that there's this end, a goal, a defining objective that defines the whole purpose of the entire endeavor. 00:14:07.439 --> 00:14:10.939 It is the end towards which everything moves. 00:14:11.379 --> 00:14:15.679 And unless you know that the telos, the telos, is that which is being moved towards, 00:14:15.720 --> 00:14:17.299 you don't understand anything that's going on. 00:14:17.299 --> 00:14:21.679 And that's the word that Jesus uses about going to Jerusalem to die. 00:14:22.899 --> 00:14:31.399 That first of all, he offends the Jewish people by saying that the source of danger for me is not the non-Jewish Herod. 00:14:31.819 --> 00:14:34.179 The danger for me is Jerusalem. 00:14:34.919 --> 00:14:37.159 That is where I will die. 00:14:38.039 --> 00:14:43.599 And me going to Jerusalem to die is the defining moment. 00:14:43.600 --> 00:14:49.560 It's that which explains every single thing about who I am. 00:14:49.779 --> 00:14:55.779 It is my telos, my telos, my goal, my end, the end for me. 00:14:57.360 --> 00:15:03.659 And he continues in verse 34 with very, very, all of a sudden, he seems like he's been hard-hearted. 00:15:03.879 --> 00:15:08.899 And all of a sudden, something deeply emotional breaks out from him in verse 34, 00:15:08.899 --> 00:15:13.539 which helps us to understand that all the way through, he's not been hard-hearted. 00:15:14.679 --> 00:15:17.419 That's why the whole text together is so very important. 00:15:17.500 --> 00:15:18.720 But in verse 34, he says, 00:15:18.819 --> 00:15:24.779 Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it. 00:15:25.459 --> 00:15:31.679 How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings? 00:15:31.679 --> 00:15:33.679 And you would not. 00:15:35.059 --> 00:15:39.819 Behold, your house is forsaken, and I tell you, you will not see me until you say, 00:15:40.479 --> 00:15:43.279 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 00:15:44.039 --> 00:15:46.439 So what on earth is going on in this text? 00:15:47.399 --> 00:15:51.839 Is Jesus just one exclusivist butting heads with Jewish exclusivists? 00:15:52.500 --> 00:15:56.719 Is he sort of almost a bit schizophrenic that on one hand he's hard-hearted, 00:15:56.839 --> 00:15:58.299 on the other hand he's soft-hearted? 00:15:58.299 --> 00:16:04.979 Like, is he sort of unaware or ignorant of what he's saying on one hand, 00:16:05.059 --> 00:16:07.379 and on the other hand, like, what's going on? 00:16:08.099 --> 00:16:09.919 Well, let's go back to the beginning of the text. 00:16:10.000 --> 00:16:11.639 We're going to read it through quickly. 00:16:12.219 --> 00:16:15.539 But let's look through the text, mindful of how the text ended. 00:16:16.319 --> 00:16:19.659 And let's listen again to verses 22 to 24. 00:16:20.719 --> 00:16:21.359 Excuse me. 00:16:22.159 --> 00:16:24.219 And he went on his way through towns and villages, 00:16:24.379 --> 00:16:26.159 teaching and journeying towards Jerusalem. 00:16:26.159 --> 00:16:28.480 It reminds us that in the Gospel of Luke, 00:16:28.839 --> 00:16:31.679 everything that's happened since towards the end of chapter 9 00:16:31.679 --> 00:16:34.620 is all about Jesus going to Jerusalem to die. 00:16:34.899 --> 00:16:36.679 If we'd forgotten it while we're reading it, 00:16:36.899 --> 00:16:41.120 the text reminds us he's going to Jerusalem to die. 00:16:42.719 --> 00:16:45.299 He went on his way through towns and villages, 00:16:45.480 --> 00:16:46.919 teaching and journeying towards Jerusalem. 00:16:47.019 --> 00:16:48.000 And someone said to him, 00:16:48.059 --> 00:16:49.839 Lord, will those who are saved be few? 00:16:50.179 --> 00:16:51.339 And he said to them, 00:16:51.340 --> 00:16:53.399 And strive to enter through the narrow door, 00:16:53.519 --> 00:16:56.200 for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 00:16:56.660 --> 00:16:58.340 Andrew, if you could put up the first point. 00:16:59.240 --> 00:17:01.019 How wide is the narrow door? 00:17:02.600 --> 00:17:04.740 It is as wide as the cross 00:17:04.740 --> 00:17:07.079 on which Jesus the Messiah, 00:17:08.120 --> 00:17:09.319 the Son of God, died. 00:17:12.660 --> 00:17:14.420 How wide is the narrow door? 00:17:14.420 --> 00:17:19.080 It is as wide as the cross 00:17:19.080 --> 00:17:21.140 It is as wide as the cross 00:17:21.140 --> 00:17:22.880 on which Jesus the Messiah, 00:17:23.000 --> 00:17:23.920 the Son of God, died. 00:17:27.920 --> 00:17:28.900 That's what we understand 00:17:28.900 --> 00:17:30.200 when we hear that whole text. 00:17:32.060 --> 00:17:33.279 That's the narrow door. 00:17:34.539 --> 00:17:36.060 Jesus' death on the cross. 00:17:36.059 --> 00:17:48.099 What about all the crying and the rejection? 00:17:49.779 --> 00:17:52.720 Well, just one thing we have to understand here 00:17:52.720 --> 00:17:53.839 before we get to that is, 00:17:54.599 --> 00:17:55.919 you know, in our culture, 00:17:56.299 --> 00:17:57.139 what we want, 00:17:59.339 --> 00:18:01.059 one of the things that Jesus is saying 00:18:01.059 --> 00:18:03.319 is that when we think of the narrow door 00:18:03.319 --> 00:18:05.500 and tolerance and all of that type of stuff, 00:18:06.059 --> 00:18:07.119 you know what we think of? 00:18:07.220 --> 00:18:08.779 We think of theologies, 00:18:09.500 --> 00:18:11.919 philosophies, ideologies, 00:18:12.779 --> 00:18:13.700 sociologies, 00:18:14.500 --> 00:18:15.460 anthropologies, 00:18:16.159 --> 00:18:17.019 methodologies, 00:18:17.819 --> 00:18:18.619 techniques, 00:18:19.559 --> 00:18:20.119 rituals, 00:18:20.980 --> 00:18:21.980 experience, 00:18:22.599 --> 00:18:23.279 emotion, 00:18:23.960 --> 00:18:24.839 and forces. 00:18:25.839 --> 00:18:28.359 And we think in terms of all of those categories 00:18:28.359 --> 00:18:32.259 and Jesus doesn't think in any of those categories. 00:18:33.019 --> 00:18:34.980 He talks in terms of a category 00:18:34.980 --> 00:18:36.680 that goes right to the heart. 00:18:38.099 --> 00:18:41.059 The narrow door is not a theology, 00:18:41.400 --> 00:18:42.039 ideology, 00:18:42.620 --> 00:18:43.240 methodology, 00:18:43.839 --> 00:18:44.740 technology, 00:18:45.460 --> 00:18:45.960 ritual, 00:18:46.819 --> 00:18:47.400 force, 00:18:47.559 --> 00:18:48.160 or emotion. 00:18:49.240 --> 00:18:50.640 It's a person. 00:18:52.319 --> 00:18:53.660 It's a person. 00:18:53.660 --> 00:19:00.540 And people touch our heart. 00:19:02.540 --> 00:19:04.800 We can manipulate ideologies, 00:19:05.220 --> 00:19:05.880 theologies, 00:19:06.220 --> 00:19:06.920 philosophies, 00:19:07.100 --> 00:19:07.860 sociologies, 00:19:08.120 --> 00:19:08.980 anthropologies, 00:19:09.660 --> 00:19:10.120 forces, 00:19:10.700 --> 00:19:11.300 techniques, 00:19:11.820 --> 00:19:12.540 methodologies, 00:19:12.680 --> 00:19:13.120 and rituals. 00:19:13.240 --> 00:19:14.420 We can manipulate them. 00:19:14.480 --> 00:19:15.560 We can play with them. 00:19:15.880 --> 00:19:16.640 And on one level, 00:19:16.720 --> 00:19:18.500 we can try to manipulate and play with people, 00:19:18.500 --> 00:19:22.859 but a person touches our heart. 00:19:23.400 --> 00:19:32.920 And we can accept or reject the presence of a person touching our heart. 00:19:32.920 --> 00:19:40.440 And that helps to explain the weeping. 00:19:41.259 --> 00:19:42.980 Look at verse 24 again 00:19:42.980 --> 00:19:45.240 and read the next few verses. 00:19:45.240 --> 00:19:49.599 Strive to enter through the narrow door. 00:19:50.059 --> 00:19:50.420 For many, 00:19:50.519 --> 00:19:51.039 I tell you, 00:19:51.079 --> 00:19:52.839 will seek to enter and will not be able. 00:19:53.039 --> 00:19:55.839 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, 00:19:56.220 --> 00:19:59.059 and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, 00:19:59.640 --> 00:20:00.599 you're knocking on Jesus, 00:20:01.160 --> 00:20:01.500 saying, 00:20:01.620 --> 00:20:01.779 Lord, 00:20:01.880 --> 00:20:02.680 open to us, 00:20:02.700 --> 00:20:03.680 and then he will answer you, 00:20:03.720 --> 00:20:05.140 I do not know where you come from. 00:20:05.500 --> 00:20:06.579 Then you will begin to say, 00:20:06.660 --> 00:20:09.500 we ate and drank in your presence and taught in our streets. 00:20:09.680 --> 00:20:10.420 But he will say, 00:20:10.460 --> 00:20:10.940 I tell you, 00:20:10.960 --> 00:20:12.579 I do not know where you come from. 00:20:12.980 --> 00:20:13.680 Depart from me, 00:20:13.680 --> 00:20:14.740 all you workers of evil. 00:20:14.840 --> 00:20:15.400 In that place, 00:20:15.480 --> 00:20:17.180 there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 00:20:17.180 --> 00:20:21.100 When you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, 00:20:21.240 --> 00:20:26.400 but you yourselves cast out and people will come from east and west and from north and south 00:20:26.400 --> 00:20:28.420 and recline at table in the kingdom of God. 00:20:28.799 --> 00:20:29.200 And behold, 00:20:29.400 --> 00:20:30.980 some are last who will be first. 00:20:31.759 --> 00:20:33.299 Some are first who will be last. 00:20:35.380 --> 00:20:36.039 Excuse me. 00:20:36.700 --> 00:20:37.480 Here's the thing. 00:20:38.039 --> 00:20:40.039 I'll put it up and then I'll explain it to you. 00:20:40.460 --> 00:20:41.019 Next point, 00:20:41.120 --> 00:20:41.340 Andrew. 00:20:41.960 --> 00:20:43.320 It's a bit of a long point. 00:20:43.319 --> 00:20:44.019 And if you, 00:20:44.179 --> 00:20:44.339 you know, 00:20:44.379 --> 00:20:49.079 you can always go online as of Monday and the points are always online if you want to write them down. 00:20:49.980 --> 00:20:53.500 To be saved is to enter through the narrow door. 00:20:54.740 --> 00:20:56.899 And it's not just a matter of entering through the narrow door. 00:20:56.980 --> 00:20:59.200 It's not just having one experience of Jesus. 00:21:00.839 --> 00:21:03.059 That's the imagery there is of being in a kingdom, 00:21:03.179 --> 00:21:03.939 of having a banquet, 00:21:04.059 --> 00:21:05.119 of being with other people, 00:21:05.240 --> 00:21:07.740 of being there with Jesus in this, 00:21:07.799 --> 00:21:08.619 in this place. 00:21:08.619 --> 00:21:10.399 And so to be saved is, 00:21:10.539 --> 00:21:10.879 in a sense, 00:21:10.959 --> 00:21:20.919 both to enter through the narrow door and live life as a citizen in the kingdom where Jesus is always present as the Savior and the Lord, 00:21:20.920 --> 00:21:23.360 and where growth means he becomes more present. 00:21:23.779 --> 00:21:25.840 And I know it's ungrammatical to say to me, 00:21:25.920 --> 00:21:29.200 but I threw it in even though it's not very grammatically correct. 00:21:29.200 --> 00:21:31.819 to emphasize that, 00:21:32.000 --> 00:21:32.779 you know what it is, 00:21:32.819 --> 00:21:34.559 is we enter through the narrow door, 00:21:34.700 --> 00:21:37.700 and the door is as wide as Jesus dying on the cross. 00:21:38.460 --> 00:21:39.319 And we enter, 00:21:39.740 --> 00:21:42.480 and being saved means that there's this narrow door, 00:21:42.600 --> 00:21:43.660 Jesus dying on the cross, 00:21:43.759 --> 00:21:44.960 we enter through him, 00:21:45.519 --> 00:21:47.539 and then it's not just that we've had an experience, 00:21:47.740 --> 00:21:48.700 and we can forget about it, 00:21:48.720 --> 00:21:49.819 and move on with our lives, 00:21:49.860 --> 00:21:51.279 into lives of ideologies, 00:21:51.460 --> 00:21:52.140 and technologies, 00:21:52.360 --> 00:21:52.880 and rituals, 00:21:53.080 --> 00:21:53.799 and organizations, 00:21:54.059 --> 00:21:54.759 and institutions, 00:21:54.759 --> 00:21:57.279 and philosophies, 00:21:57.339 --> 00:21:58.059 and anthropologies, 00:21:58.119 --> 00:22:05.720 but we actually enter in to begin to live the life as a citizen in a kingdom where Jesus is the Savior, 00:22:05.900 --> 00:22:06.819 and he is the Lord, 00:22:06.920 --> 00:22:08.119 and he's always present. 00:22:09.039 --> 00:22:11.500 And all of my personal growth into the future, 00:22:12.180 --> 00:22:16.119 personal growth will now mean Jesus being more present, 00:22:16.740 --> 00:22:17.500 not absent, 00:22:18.220 --> 00:22:20.400 more present as Savior, 00:22:21.180 --> 00:22:23.640 more present as Lord. 00:22:24.759 --> 00:22:27.480 This week while I was preparing this sermon, 00:22:27.579 --> 00:22:29.339 I was in a suburban coffee shop, 00:22:29.819 --> 00:22:32.619 and I overheard a conversation before, 00:22:33.000 --> 00:22:36.440 between four pleasant suburban grandmothers. 00:22:38.799 --> 00:22:40.839 I'm guessing they're in their early 70s. 00:22:41.460 --> 00:22:42.859 I'm so glad you don't know who they are, 00:22:42.940 --> 00:22:44.140 because if they're in their 60s, 00:22:44.160 --> 00:22:45.980 I would be so red-faced right now, 00:22:46.019 --> 00:22:47.720 by guessing that they were in their 70s. 00:22:48.279 --> 00:22:49.680 But they seem to be, 00:22:49.879 --> 00:22:52.420 I've been in that suburban coffee shop before, 00:22:52.539 --> 00:22:53.480 I've seen them there before, 00:22:53.480 --> 00:22:54.660 they're obviously regulars, 00:22:54.740 --> 00:22:56.160 they're obviously great friends, 00:22:56.660 --> 00:22:58.839 and usually wherever they are in the Starbucks, 00:22:59.039 --> 00:23:00.220 there's lots of laughter. 00:23:01.039 --> 00:23:04.319 And we probably would love them to be our own mother or grandmother, 00:23:04.500 --> 00:23:06.220 or love to have them as our neighbors, 00:23:06.579 --> 00:23:08.460 and I overheard this conversation. 00:23:08.599 --> 00:23:09.720 I heard one of them say, 00:23:09.819 --> 00:23:10.299 all of a sudden, 00:23:10.400 --> 00:23:11.620 I didn't hear what led up to it, 00:23:11.640 --> 00:23:12.299 but all of a sudden, 00:23:12.680 --> 00:23:13.779 popped into my ear, 00:23:13.860 --> 00:23:14.819 one of them saying to another, 00:23:15.059 --> 00:23:16.500 are you going to go to church this Christmas? 00:23:16.500 --> 00:23:20.519 And the woman said, 00:23:20.920 --> 00:23:22.420 yeah, I think I will. 00:23:23.579 --> 00:23:25.900 And the first woman says to the second woman, 00:23:25.960 --> 00:23:26.920 well, you never go to church. 00:23:27.359 --> 00:23:27.940 And she says, 00:23:28.000 --> 00:23:28.420 well, you know, 00:23:28.599 --> 00:23:30.579 I like to hedge my bets with the big guy. 00:23:33.960 --> 00:23:34.420 You know, 00:23:34.480 --> 00:23:35.740 I like to hedge my bets, 00:23:35.859 --> 00:23:36.119 you know, 00:23:36.200 --> 00:23:36.539 so I, 00:23:36.599 --> 00:23:36.759 you know, 00:23:36.779 --> 00:23:39.119 I figure if I just sort of go to church every once in a while, 00:23:39.200 --> 00:23:39.359 you know, 00:23:39.400 --> 00:23:40.640 Christmas is as good a time as any, 00:23:40.680 --> 00:23:41.259 I like the music, 00:23:41.700 --> 00:23:42.119 and you know, 00:23:42.160 --> 00:23:42.740 it's a good time, 00:23:42.819 --> 00:23:43.879 and I sort of hedge my bets, 00:23:43.960 --> 00:23:44.240 you know, 00:23:45.000 --> 00:23:48.799 and the woman number three immediately says, 00:23:48.940 --> 00:23:52.460 I don't need any big guy up in the sky telling me what to do, 00:23:53.119 --> 00:23:54.559 and looking over my life. 00:23:54.700 --> 00:23:56.180 I don't need a big guy in the sky. 00:23:57.920 --> 00:24:00.879 And another woman chirped in, 00:24:01.559 --> 00:24:03.400 I guess trying to diffuse the tension, 00:24:03.900 --> 00:24:05.920 because she was a bit adamant about it, 00:24:05.920 --> 00:24:07.619 there was some emotion in it, 00:24:08.119 --> 00:24:08.720 and she said, 00:24:09.160 --> 00:24:09.920 I don't go to church, 00:24:09.920 --> 00:24:11.480 I just try to think good thoughts. 00:24:13.560 --> 00:24:15.600 And then the woman who started it all off said, 00:24:15.700 --> 00:24:15.820 well, 00:24:15.860 --> 00:24:15.980 you know, 00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:16.560 I'm Jewish, 00:24:17.420 --> 00:24:17.700 and, 00:24:17.779 --> 00:24:20.100 and my, 00:24:20.140 --> 00:24:23.640 my husband likes going to all these religious festival type things at the 00:24:23.640 --> 00:24:23.940 synagogue, 00:24:23.940 --> 00:24:25.560 and I like being with my husband, 00:24:25.640 --> 00:24:26.940 so I tag along with him, 00:24:27.019 --> 00:24:29.500 just so I can spend some time with my husband. 00:24:29.560 --> 00:24:31.600 And then the conversation moved on to different things. 00:24:32.300 --> 00:24:33.100 Here's the thing. 00:24:38.300 --> 00:24:39.740 Those women might say, 00:24:39.920 --> 00:24:41.720 I'm not picking on them. 00:24:42.360 --> 00:24:43.460 They might say, 00:24:43.820 --> 00:24:44.960 Jesus, 00:24:45.200 --> 00:24:46.660 I want to get into heaven. 00:24:47.300 --> 00:24:48.380 And Jesus says, 00:24:48.460 --> 00:24:50.460 you realize that when you come through this door, 00:24:50.880 --> 00:24:53.019 you're going to live life as a citizen, 00:24:53.019 --> 00:24:54.279 where I am the Savior, 00:24:54.480 --> 00:24:55.360 and I am the Lord, 00:24:55.400 --> 00:24:56.560 and I'm always present. 00:24:56.560 --> 00:24:59.220 And the longer you're in there, 00:25:00.140 --> 00:25:02.080 I will only become more present. 00:25:02.079 --> 00:25:05.939 And they would say, 00:25:06.039 --> 00:25:07.619 that is unacceptable to me. 00:25:11.019 --> 00:25:12.159 But I want to come in. 00:25:14.259 --> 00:25:15.460 And Jesus would say, 00:25:15.539 --> 00:25:20.119 you realize the door is my death upon the cross for you because I love you. 00:25:20.119 --> 00:25:22.919 And once you come through that door, 00:25:23.659 --> 00:25:28.039 I'll always be present with my nail-scarred hands. 00:25:28.919 --> 00:25:32.979 And you won't be able to go anywhere where I'm not there with my nail-scarred hands. 00:25:32.980 --> 00:25:36.120 And I'll always be your Lord. 00:25:36.779 --> 00:25:38.519 And I'm only going to get closer to you. 00:25:39.460 --> 00:25:40.839 And they might very well say, 00:25:41.220 --> 00:25:42.599 that is unacceptable. 00:25:42.599 --> 00:25:45.799 On Friday, 00:25:45.899 --> 00:25:48.539 while I was working on my sermon in a different Starbucks, 00:25:49.679 --> 00:25:50.859 I'm sitting there, 00:25:51.059 --> 00:25:52.779 and I don't know why this just popped into my head. 00:25:52.839 --> 00:25:53.779 Maybe it wasn't the first time, 00:25:53.839 --> 00:25:55.959 but there's this really nice young family there. 00:25:56.459 --> 00:25:58.339 They're probably in their early 30s. 00:25:58.719 --> 00:26:01.899 And they had a little girl who looked like she was three and a half or four, 00:26:02.019 --> 00:26:03.879 and a boy who looked like he was around two. 00:26:04.919 --> 00:26:06.559 And that and the mom, 00:26:06.599 --> 00:26:07.939 you could just tell they sit down and go, 00:26:07.939 --> 00:26:08.139 ah. 00:26:09.159 --> 00:26:09.500 You know, 00:26:09.619 --> 00:26:10.839 I don't know where they had lattes, 00:26:11.019 --> 00:26:11.399 or, you know, 00:26:11.400 --> 00:26:12.220 Americanos, 00:26:12.360 --> 00:26:12.780 or something, 00:26:13.000 --> 00:26:13.140 you know, 00:26:13.180 --> 00:26:14.720 a pumpkin spice latte, 00:26:14.860 --> 00:26:15.300 or something. 00:26:15.400 --> 00:26:18.380 And they had some fancy Starbucks breakfast sandwiches. 00:26:19.040 --> 00:26:23.000 And the kids each had a glass of ice water and a cookie on a napkin. 00:26:23.400 --> 00:26:27.240 You could just sort of tell the parents were just ready to have a bit of a relaxed time with their kid. 00:26:27.560 --> 00:26:29.420 And it seemed within moments of them sitting down, 00:26:29.480 --> 00:26:30.700 I heard the little boy say, 00:26:31.220 --> 00:26:32.820 I want to juice. 00:26:34.519 --> 00:26:35.780 Just a quiet little voice. 00:26:35.780 --> 00:26:37.100 I want to juice. 00:26:39.120 --> 00:26:41.380 And then like 40 seconds later, 00:26:41.400 --> 00:26:43.180 I wanted juice. 00:26:44.180 --> 00:26:45.100 We bought him, 00:26:45.259 --> 00:26:46.060 you have ice water. 00:26:46.680 --> 00:26:47.320 You have a cookie. 00:26:48.259 --> 00:26:49.300 I wanted juice. 00:26:51.500 --> 00:26:53.200 And over the next five minutes, 00:26:53.580 --> 00:26:55.759 it went from just a quiet, 00:26:56.080 --> 00:26:57.060 I wanted juice, 00:26:57.560 --> 00:26:59.200 to a louder, 00:26:59.540 --> 00:27:00.540 I wanted juice, 00:27:01.040 --> 00:27:03.940 to icy glares and shoves of his sister, 00:27:03.940 --> 00:27:05.720 to a squawk, 00:27:06.059 --> 00:27:06.900 to eventually, 00:27:07.620 --> 00:27:09.400 a full-blown, 00:27:10.200 --> 00:27:11.519 red-faced, 00:27:11.860 --> 00:27:13.940 back-arched scream. 00:27:15.380 --> 00:27:18.880 That not only did everybody in that restaurant here, 00:27:19.059 --> 00:27:21.640 but probably everybody within 10 blocks 00:27:21.640 --> 00:27:24.039 heard this little kid scream, 00:27:24.420 --> 00:27:26.640 I want juice. 00:27:26.640 --> 00:27:30.800 And he bursts into tears, 00:27:31.220 --> 00:27:31.860 screaming, 00:27:32.380 --> 00:27:33.700 with his back arched, 00:27:33.759 --> 00:27:34.620 his face red, 00:27:35.000 --> 00:27:35.759 full-throated. 00:27:36.800 --> 00:27:38.460 Parents try to calm him down. 00:27:38.640 --> 00:27:38.960 Eventually, 00:27:39.060 --> 00:27:40.740 they realize the only thing you can do 00:27:40.740 --> 00:27:43.000 is you pick the kid up under your arm, 00:27:43.100 --> 00:27:43.980 and you walk out, 00:27:44.220 --> 00:27:45.280 and you go to the car. 00:27:46.160 --> 00:27:47.000 I just think, 00:27:47.060 --> 00:27:48.520 I'm so glad I'm a grandfather, 00:27:48.620 --> 00:27:49.340 not a parent. 00:27:49.339 --> 00:27:52.419 And I didn't offer them any parenting advice, 00:27:52.519 --> 00:27:54.419 because I was probably the same 00:27:54.419 --> 00:27:55.519 when I was a dad, 00:27:55.619 --> 00:27:56.500 missing the cues, 00:27:57.059 --> 00:27:58.419 meltdown approaching. 00:28:01.419 --> 00:28:02.519 But here's the thing, 00:28:02.579 --> 00:28:04.619 we all know that that only happens to two-year-olds. 00:28:05.339 --> 00:28:09.679 We all know that no adult has meltdowns. 00:28:10.099 --> 00:28:12.439 But no adult says, 00:28:12.699 --> 00:28:14.379 this is intolerable to me. 00:28:14.980 --> 00:28:15.339 And inwardly, 00:28:16.000 --> 00:28:18.439 even if they have such good social skills 00:28:18.440 --> 00:28:21.019 that they do not stand their back arched, 00:28:21.019 --> 00:28:21.580 red-faced, 00:28:21.680 --> 00:28:23.100 screaming at the top of their lungs, 00:28:23.440 --> 00:28:25.380 inside that's going on. 00:28:25.420 --> 00:28:26.960 We know that doesn't happen to any adults. 00:28:28.500 --> 00:28:28.779 See, 00:28:28.860 --> 00:28:30.340 if you could put up the next point, Andrew, 00:28:31.380 --> 00:28:34.740 it breaks the heart of Jesus 00:28:34.740 --> 00:28:36.960 that some will say 00:28:36.960 --> 00:28:39.299 that the grace to enter such a kingdom 00:28:39.299 --> 00:28:42.420 is forever intolerable. 00:28:44.460 --> 00:28:45.620 Some will say, 00:28:46.620 --> 00:28:47.920 I wanted juice. 00:28:48.440 --> 00:28:54.259 I want juice. 00:28:56.059 --> 00:28:58.160 And the weeping and the gnashing of teeth 00:28:58.160 --> 00:29:00.980 isn't like, you know, 00:29:01.180 --> 00:29:02.940 those teenage girl movies, 00:29:03.799 --> 00:29:04.180 you know, 00:29:04.259 --> 00:29:06.059 where the slightly odd, 00:29:06.220 --> 00:29:07.140 misfitted girl 00:29:07.140 --> 00:29:08.559 is who's really the one 00:29:08.559 --> 00:29:09.820 who's actually smart 00:29:09.820 --> 00:29:12.460 and eventually takes their glasses off 00:29:12.460 --> 00:29:13.080 and they're pretty 00:29:13.079 --> 00:29:15.519 and eventually gets the good-looking guy 00:29:15.519 --> 00:29:16.599 or even better, 00:29:16.699 --> 00:29:18.519 gets to say no to the good-looking guy 00:29:18.519 --> 00:29:20.299 and says yes to the quirky guy 00:29:20.299 --> 00:29:21.179 and they're just mean 00:29:21.179 --> 00:29:23.000 and the mean girls make the girl. 00:29:23.059 --> 00:29:24.119 It's not like that at all. 00:29:25.119 --> 00:29:26.079 It's not like that. 00:29:26.119 --> 00:29:27.740 That's not what's going on in this text. 00:29:28.439 --> 00:29:30.359 It's the two-year-old wanting juice. 00:29:32.220 --> 00:29:34.339 And if we just read verse 31 to 35, 00:29:34.460 --> 00:29:34.639 you see, 00:29:34.740 --> 00:29:36.319 it's when you hear the heart of Jesus 00:29:36.319 --> 00:29:38.199 that you understand that that's what's going on. 00:29:38.200 --> 00:29:38.759 And listen again. 00:29:39.240 --> 00:29:40.039 At that very hour, 00:29:40.140 --> 00:29:41.819 some Pharisees came and said to Jesus, 00:29:41.980 --> 00:29:42.640 get away from here 00:29:42.640 --> 00:29:43.960 for Herod wants to kill you. 00:29:44.220 --> 00:29:45.160 And Jesus said to them, 00:29:45.240 --> 00:29:46.259 go and tell that fox, 00:29:46.400 --> 00:29:46.640 behold, 00:29:46.700 --> 00:29:47.640 I cast out demons. 00:29:48.539 --> 00:29:49.819 He's healing people, 00:29:50.640 --> 00:29:51.319 delivering people, 00:29:51.400 --> 00:29:52.440 and perform cures. 00:29:52.640 --> 00:29:54.000 He's healing and delivering people 00:29:54.000 --> 00:29:54.680 today and tomorrow. 00:29:54.779 --> 00:29:55.380 And the third day, 00:29:55.720 --> 00:29:57.299 I finish my course. 00:29:57.940 --> 00:29:58.240 Nevertheless, 00:29:58.500 --> 00:29:59.160 I must go, 00:29:59.259 --> 00:29:59.880 my telos, 00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:01.259 I must go 00:30:01.259 --> 00:30:03.120 my way today and tomorrow 00:30:03.120 --> 00:30:03.819 and the day following. 00:30:03.919 --> 00:30:04.659 For it cannot be 00:30:04.659 --> 00:30:05.899 that a prophet should perish 00:30:05.899 --> 00:30:06.939 away from Jerusalem. 00:30:07.539 --> 00:30:07.759 Oh, 00:30:07.819 --> 00:30:08.279 Jerusalem, 00:30:08.439 --> 00:30:08.779 Jerusalem, 00:30:08.919 --> 00:30:10.200 the city that kills the prophets 00:30:10.200 --> 00:30:11.839 and stones those who are sent to it. 00:30:12.099 --> 00:30:13.879 How often would I have gathered 00:30:13.879 --> 00:30:14.960 your children together 00:30:14.960 --> 00:30:16.519 as a hen gathers her brood 00:30:16.519 --> 00:30:17.299 under her wings 00:30:17.299 --> 00:30:18.980 and you would not. 00:30:19.200 --> 00:30:19.639 Behold, 00:30:19.759 --> 00:30:20.960 your house is forsaken 00:30:20.960 --> 00:30:21.639 and I tell you, 00:30:21.899 --> 00:30:22.919 you will not see me 00:30:22.919 --> 00:30:23.619 until you say, 00:30:23.720 --> 00:30:24.419 blessed is he 00:30:24.419 --> 00:30:26.039 who comes in the name of the Lord. 00:30:26.939 --> 00:30:28.700 It breaks the heart of Jesus 00:30:28.700 --> 00:30:31.059 that some will say 00:30:31.059 --> 00:30:31.859 that the grace 00:30:31.859 --> 00:30:33.460 to enter such a kingdom 00:30:33.460 --> 00:30:34.600 is forever 00:30:34.600 --> 00:30:36.220 intolerable. 00:30:37.720 --> 00:30:38.360 You see, 00:30:38.440 --> 00:30:38.960 the image 00:30:38.960 --> 00:30:40.299 here that we need 00:30:40.299 --> 00:30:44.579 is not of a hard-hearted Jesus 00:30:44.579 --> 00:30:45.840 casting people away 00:30:45.840 --> 00:30:47.259 because they're not smart enough, 00:30:48.940 --> 00:30:50.279 haven't gone to church enough, 00:30:50.620 --> 00:30:51.880 haven't made enough money, 00:30:52.600 --> 00:30:54.160 haven't been a good enough parent, 00:30:54.640 --> 00:30:56.059 not the right race, 00:30:56.380 --> 00:30:57.680 not the right nationality. 00:30:57.740 --> 00:30:59.079 It's not a hard-hearted Jesus 00:30:59.079 --> 00:30:59.600 saying that. 00:30:59.660 --> 00:31:00.340 You know what it's like? 00:31:01.460 --> 00:31:02.460 And maybe you've seen it 00:31:02.460 --> 00:31:03.600 like I have sometimes. 00:31:03.759 --> 00:31:05.259 It's like maybe a wife 00:31:05.259 --> 00:31:06.340 saying to her husband 00:31:06.340 --> 00:31:07.680 with tears in her eyes, 00:31:07.880 --> 00:31:09.220 I don't want you 00:31:09.220 --> 00:31:10.220 to divorce me. 00:31:10.840 --> 00:31:13.200 I want to be married to you. 00:31:13.640 --> 00:31:15.880 I think we can work it out. 00:31:16.400 --> 00:31:18.579 I want to be married to you. 00:31:18.620 --> 00:31:19.259 And the woman 00:31:19.259 --> 00:31:20.920 has tears in her eyes 00:31:20.920 --> 00:31:22.180 and the husband 00:31:22.180 --> 00:31:24.160 looks away stony-faced. 00:31:24.160 --> 00:31:27.680 It is a parent 00:31:27.680 --> 00:31:28.500 to a child 00:31:28.500 --> 00:31:29.160 or a child 00:31:29.160 --> 00:31:29.880 to the parent. 00:31:30.300 --> 00:31:30.880 The parent 00:31:30.880 --> 00:31:31.560 saying to the child, 00:31:31.720 --> 00:31:32.360 I want to be, 00:31:32.540 --> 00:31:33.100 I want, 00:31:33.259 --> 00:31:34.380 I just want to love you. 00:31:34.779 --> 00:31:35.920 I just want to be your mother. 00:31:36.019 --> 00:31:37.140 I just want to be your father. 00:31:37.680 --> 00:31:38.240 I just, 00:31:38.360 --> 00:31:39.680 I just want to help you. 00:31:39.840 --> 00:31:41.680 I'd give anything for you. 00:31:42.380 --> 00:31:43.600 And the kid 00:31:43.600 --> 00:31:44.980 stony-eyed 00:31:44.980 --> 00:31:45.680 looking away 00:31:45.680 --> 00:31:46.660 wanting to have 00:31:46.660 --> 00:31:47.519 nothing to do with it. 00:31:48.580 --> 00:31:49.380 Or the kid 00:31:49.380 --> 00:31:50.279 saying to their mom 00:31:50.279 --> 00:31:50.820 or their dad, 00:31:50.900 --> 00:31:51.160 I just, 00:31:51.240 --> 00:31:52.040 I just want to help you. 00:31:52.040 --> 00:31:52.600 I just want to love you. 00:31:52.599 --> 00:31:54.259 And the parent being stony-eyed 00:31:54.259 --> 00:31:55.480 on their course. 00:31:56.459 --> 00:31:57.839 And that's what we see 00:31:57.839 --> 00:31:58.719 of Jesus. 00:32:00.059 --> 00:32:00.919 Because in fact, 00:32:01.039 --> 00:32:01.339 and Andrew, 00:32:01.399 --> 00:32:02.059 if you could put this 00:32:02.059 --> 00:32:02.879 next point up, 00:32:03.000 --> 00:32:03.500 here's the thing. 00:32:03.559 --> 00:32:04.480 Because some of you might say, 00:32:04.799 --> 00:32:06.359 does Jesus know who I am? 00:32:06.419 --> 00:32:06.959 Does he know 00:32:06.959 --> 00:32:08.519 how bad a parent I've been? 00:32:08.579 --> 00:32:09.240 Does he know how, 00:32:09.559 --> 00:32:10.519 does he know the things 00:32:10.519 --> 00:32:11.159 I've done? 00:32:11.500 --> 00:32:12.219 Does he know 00:32:12.219 --> 00:32:13.399 how much of a failure 00:32:13.399 --> 00:32:13.939 I've been? 00:32:14.019 --> 00:32:14.480 Does he know 00:32:14.480 --> 00:32:15.639 how much I've been rejected? 00:32:15.779 --> 00:32:16.419 He could never 00:32:16.419 --> 00:32:17.699 possibly want me. 00:32:17.980 --> 00:32:19.359 But this text is saying 00:32:19.359 --> 00:32:20.919 that if Jesus dies 00:32:20.919 --> 00:32:21.599 on the cross 00:32:21.599 --> 00:32:22.519 out of love for you 00:32:22.519 --> 00:32:23.859 and that the narrow door 00:32:23.859 --> 00:32:25.519 is his death 00:32:25.519 --> 00:32:26.359 upon the cross, 00:32:26.420 --> 00:32:27.519 that that in fact 00:32:27.519 --> 00:32:29.200 is the power of God 00:32:29.200 --> 00:32:30.700 that comes from salvation, 00:32:30.700 --> 00:32:32.460 that when we put our faith 00:32:32.460 --> 00:32:33.460 and trust in him, 00:32:33.759 --> 00:32:35.539 that that saves us. 00:32:35.680 --> 00:32:36.660 That it's not 00:32:36.660 --> 00:32:37.579 our looks, 00:32:37.879 --> 00:32:38.500 our abilities, 00:32:38.720 --> 00:32:39.599 our accomplishments. 00:32:39.839 --> 00:32:41.059 It's nothing like that. 00:32:41.180 --> 00:32:41.460 There is, 00:32:41.799 --> 00:32:42.379 what is a text? 00:32:42.500 --> 00:32:42.660 It, 00:32:43.139 --> 00:32:45.920 I cannot be so broken 00:32:45.920 --> 00:32:47.400 or so sinful 00:32:47.400 --> 00:32:48.759 or so excluded 00:32:48.759 --> 00:32:49.519 or so distant 00:32:50.079 --> 00:32:51.160 or so hated 00:32:51.160 --> 00:32:52.420 or so other 00:32:52.420 --> 00:32:53.380 that Jesus 00:32:53.380 --> 00:32:54.720 will turn me away 00:32:54.720 --> 00:32:55.880 when I come to him 00:32:55.880 --> 00:32:56.980 with humble longing. 00:32:57.720 --> 00:32:58.779 Blessed is he who comes 00:32:58.779 --> 00:32:59.700 in the name of the Lord 00:32:59.700 --> 00:33:02.100 with repentance 00:33:02.100 --> 00:33:03.580 and faith in him. 00:33:05.500 --> 00:33:06.259 No one 00:33:06.259 --> 00:33:07.720 is so broken 00:33:07.720 --> 00:33:09.740 or so hated 00:33:09.740 --> 00:33:11.380 or such a failure. 00:33:12.340 --> 00:33:12.840 And I don't have 00:33:12.840 --> 00:33:13.660 a slide from it, 00:33:13.720 --> 00:33:14.840 but there is no one here 00:33:14.840 --> 00:33:16.300 who is so young, 00:33:16.620 --> 00:33:17.160 so successful, 00:33:17.160 --> 00:33:19.120 so popular, 00:33:19.120 --> 00:33:21.440 that you don't need Jesus. 00:33:22.220 --> 00:33:23.240 There's no one here 00:33:23.240 --> 00:33:24.160 so rich 00:33:24.160 --> 00:33:25.740 or powerful 00:33:25.740 --> 00:33:27.400 that you don't need 00:33:27.400 --> 00:33:28.040 Jesus. 00:33:30.960 --> 00:33:32.040 That's the heart 00:33:32.040 --> 00:33:33.000 of Jesus. 00:33:33.880 --> 00:33:36.080 Jesus knows you. 00:33:38.420 --> 00:33:38.980 In fact, 00:33:39.040 --> 00:33:39.500 what we see 00:33:39.500 --> 00:33:40.420 in this whole thing 00:33:40.420 --> 00:33:43.220 is if you could put up 00:33:43.220 --> 00:33:43.620 the final, 00:33:43.840 --> 00:33:44.420 not the final, 00:33:44.500 --> 00:33:45.060 the next point, 00:33:45.160 --> 00:33:45.380 Andrew. 00:33:45.380 --> 00:33:46.460 See, 00:33:46.520 --> 00:33:47.080 here's the way 00:33:47.080 --> 00:33:48.020 this text works 00:33:48.020 --> 00:33:48.700 on us. 00:33:49.700 --> 00:33:50.400 And this is why 00:33:50.400 --> 00:33:51.240 we don't understand 00:33:51.240 --> 00:33:51.720 the text 00:33:51.720 --> 00:33:52.520 because we want 00:33:52.520 --> 00:33:53.540 Jesus to answer 00:33:53.540 --> 00:33:54.880 an intellectual question, 00:33:55.480 --> 00:33:56.480 an anthropological, 00:33:56.680 --> 00:33:57.600 sociological, 00:33:58.420 --> 00:33:59.360 missiological, 00:33:59.760 --> 00:34:00.440 ideological, 00:34:01.580 --> 00:34:02.160 cultural, 00:34:03.160 --> 00:34:04.080 ritualistic, 00:34:05.360 --> 00:34:05.820 energetic, 00:34:06.540 --> 00:34:07.740 technique-driven 00:34:07.740 --> 00:34:08.500 question. 00:34:09.440 --> 00:34:10.119 The question 00:34:10.119 --> 00:34:10.660 was asked 00:34:10.660 --> 00:34:11.280 of Jesus, 00:34:11.480 --> 00:34:11.800 will those 00:34:11.800 --> 00:34:12.320 who are saved 00:34:12.320 --> 00:34:12.860 be few? 00:34:12.860 --> 00:34:14.320 the text 00:34:14.320 --> 00:34:15.599 turns everything 00:34:15.599 --> 00:34:16.079 around 00:34:16.079 --> 00:34:17.460 and Jesus 00:34:17.460 --> 00:34:18.280 asks me, 00:34:18.720 --> 00:34:19.400 will you 00:34:19.400 --> 00:34:20.280 enter 00:34:20.280 --> 00:34:21.079 through the narrow 00:34:21.079 --> 00:34:21.480 door 00:34:21.480 --> 00:34:22.539 and be saved? 00:34:27.260 --> 00:34:27.940 You see, 00:34:28.019 --> 00:34:28.640 questions of, 00:34:29.180 --> 00:34:29.960 not that we can't 00:34:29.960 --> 00:34:30.740 answer questions 00:34:30.740 --> 00:34:31.300 of philosophy, 00:34:31.380 --> 00:34:31.820 I'm not trying 00:34:31.820 --> 00:34:32.400 to say that 00:34:32.400 --> 00:34:32.820 and there's, 00:34:32.940 --> 00:34:33.120 you know, 00:34:33.120 --> 00:34:33.620 other types 00:34:33.620 --> 00:34:34.120 and this is 00:34:34.120 --> 00:34:34.960 a huge part 00:34:34.960 --> 00:34:35.420 of the answer 00:34:35.420 --> 00:34:35.760 but there's 00:34:35.760 --> 00:34:36.240 other things 00:34:36.240 --> 00:34:37.019 that can be said. 00:34:37.900 --> 00:34:38.500 But Jesus, 00:34:38.940 --> 00:34:39.239 you see, 00:34:39.300 --> 00:34:40.000 religion and 00:34:40.000 --> 00:34:40.780 spirituality 00:34:40.780 --> 00:34:41.599 will always 00:34:41.599 --> 00:34:42.320 just go 00:34:42.320 --> 00:34:43.800 to appearances 00:34:43.800 --> 00:34:45.340 and methods 00:34:45.340 --> 00:34:46.039 and techniques 00:34:46.039 --> 00:34:46.780 and ideas. 00:34:47.599 --> 00:34:48.300 Jesus always 00:34:48.300 --> 00:34:49.360 goes to the heart. 00:34:50.099 --> 00:34:50.800 He goes to the 00:34:50.800 --> 00:34:51.460 center of who 00:34:51.460 --> 00:34:51.900 we are 00:34:51.900 --> 00:34:53.079 in the context 00:34:53.079 --> 00:34:53.960 of the reality 00:34:53.960 --> 00:34:54.500 and the truth 00:34:54.500 --> 00:34:55.360 of the living God. 00:34:56.659 --> 00:34:57.559 And so we have 00:34:57.559 --> 00:34:58.920 an abstract question 00:34:58.920 --> 00:35:00.139 and Jesus 00:35:00.139 --> 00:35:01.000 turns it around 00:35:01.000 --> 00:35:01.679 and in a sense 00:35:01.679 --> 00:35:02.320 when we're opening 00:35:02.320 --> 00:35:02.920 the Bible, 00:35:04.420 --> 00:35:05.579 the eyes of Jesus 00:35:05.579 --> 00:35:06.500 are right there 00:35:06.500 --> 00:35:07.279 looking back 00:35:07.279 --> 00:35:07.940 at us 00:35:07.940 --> 00:35:09.139 and he asks 00:35:09.139 --> 00:35:10.059 me a question. 00:35:11.539 --> 00:35:12.039 George, 00:35:12.380 --> 00:35:13.279 will you enter 00:35:13.279 --> 00:35:13.940 through the narrow 00:35:13.940 --> 00:35:15.199 door and be saved? 00:35:17.679 --> 00:35:18.639 That's the question 00:35:18.639 --> 00:35:19.460 before every one 00:35:19.460 --> 00:35:20.019 of us here. 00:35:22.239 --> 00:35:23.179 Just two very 00:35:23.179 --> 00:35:23.900 brief things 00:35:23.900 --> 00:35:24.400 in closing 00:35:24.400 --> 00:35:24.940 and we'll sort of 00:35:24.940 --> 00:35:25.440 return to this 00:35:25.440 --> 00:35:26.019 and we'll pray. 00:35:26.559 --> 00:35:27.139 There's two other 00:35:27.139 --> 00:35:27.860 things for Christ 00:35:27.860 --> 00:35:29.000 followers in this text 00:35:29.000 --> 00:35:29.639 which are really 00:35:29.639 --> 00:35:30.559 important things 00:35:30.559 --> 00:35:31.079 for us. 00:35:31.819 --> 00:35:32.299 If you could put up 00:35:32.299 --> 00:35:32.679 the first, 00:35:32.840 --> 00:35:33.039 Andrew. 00:35:33.039 --> 00:35:35.719 Jesus is telling 00:35:35.719 --> 00:35:36.460 us to go to 00:35:36.460 --> 00:35:37.539 every people group 00:35:37.539 --> 00:35:38.239 on the planet 00:35:38.239 --> 00:35:38.860 and tell them 00:35:38.860 --> 00:35:39.380 about him. 00:35:40.779 --> 00:35:41.480 Now we can't 00:35:41.480 --> 00:35:41.920 manage this 00:35:41.920 --> 00:35:42.820 as one congregation. 00:35:42.960 --> 00:35:43.440 He's not telling 00:35:43.440 --> 00:35:44.300 us as an individual 00:35:44.300 --> 00:35:44.920 we can't go to 00:35:44.920 --> 00:35:45.599 every people group 00:35:45.599 --> 00:35:46.179 but he's telling 00:35:46.179 --> 00:35:46.519 us that it's 00:35:46.519 --> 00:35:47.639 a constant task 00:35:47.639 --> 00:35:48.559 upon churches 00:35:48.559 --> 00:35:50.619 that we pray 00:35:50.619 --> 00:35:51.360 and do what we 00:35:51.360 --> 00:35:53.460 can to go, 00:35:53.800 --> 00:35:54.960 to go, 00:35:55.519 --> 00:35:57.239 to every people 00:35:57.239 --> 00:35:58.279 group on the planet. 00:35:58.380 --> 00:35:58.719 That's what it 00:35:58.719 --> 00:35:59.099 means about, 00:35:59.480 --> 00:35:59.599 you know, 00:35:59.619 --> 00:36:00.019 in the kingdom 00:36:00.019 --> 00:36:00.360 there's going to 00:36:00.360 --> 00:36:01.059 be from north 00:36:01.059 --> 00:36:01.539 and south 00:36:01.539 --> 00:36:02.440 and east and west 00:36:02.440 --> 00:36:03.940 we have a 00:36:03.940 --> 00:36:05.659 planet-wide God, 00:36:06.039 --> 00:36:07.079 a planet-forming 00:36:07.079 --> 00:36:07.639 God, 00:36:08.059 --> 00:36:09.079 who calls 00:36:09.079 --> 00:36:10.440 a planet-wide 00:36:10.440 --> 00:36:11.059 people. 00:36:13.639 --> 00:36:14.500 And you know, 00:36:15.679 --> 00:36:16.260 while there might 00:36:16.260 --> 00:36:17.000 not be fruit 00:36:17.000 --> 00:36:17.599 at first, 00:36:18.179 --> 00:36:19.300 this whole text 00:36:19.300 --> 00:36:20.300 tells us that 00:36:20.300 --> 00:36:20.980 there will be 00:36:20.980 --> 00:36:21.760 people in every 00:36:21.760 --> 00:36:22.420 people group. 00:36:23.360 --> 00:36:24.380 There will be 00:36:24.380 --> 00:36:25.019 people in every 00:36:25.019 --> 00:36:25.559 people group 00:36:25.559 --> 00:36:26.000 who will come 00:36:26.000 --> 00:36:26.860 to faith in Jesus. 00:36:27.679 --> 00:36:28.159 There will. 00:36:28.519 --> 00:36:29.079 That's what Jesus 00:36:29.079 --> 00:36:29.539 says. 00:36:30.139 --> 00:36:30.840 And we're to go. 00:36:30.840 --> 00:36:32.340 And that means 00:36:32.340 --> 00:36:32.860 we're to go to 00:36:32.860 --> 00:36:33.440 the farthest 00:36:33.440 --> 00:36:34.260 corners of the 00:36:34.260 --> 00:36:34.420 earth, 00:36:34.500 --> 00:36:34.960 but we're also 00:36:34.960 --> 00:36:35.519 to pray that 00:36:35.519 --> 00:36:36.160 every people 00:36:36.160 --> 00:36:36.700 group in our 00:36:36.700 --> 00:36:37.340 community will 00:36:37.340 --> 00:36:38.160 also have people 00:36:38.160 --> 00:36:38.740 who will go 00:36:38.740 --> 00:36:40.140 to the Muslim 00:36:40.140 --> 00:36:40.620 community, 00:36:41.059 --> 00:36:41.980 to the atheist 00:36:41.980 --> 00:36:42.480 community, 00:36:42.660 --> 00:36:43.300 to the intellectual 00:36:43.300 --> 00:36:43.740 community, 00:36:43.860 --> 00:36:44.400 to the political 00:36:44.400 --> 00:36:44.820 community, 00:36:44.920 --> 00:36:45.340 to the gay 00:36:45.340 --> 00:36:45.820 community, 00:36:47.280 --> 00:36:47.680 to the, 00:36:48.460 --> 00:36:49.640 every community 00:36:49.640 --> 00:36:50.180 without any 00:36:50.180 --> 00:36:50.700 exception. 00:36:51.519 --> 00:36:52.260 Jesus is telling 00:36:52.260 --> 00:36:53.620 us to go to 00:36:53.620 --> 00:36:54.579 every people group 00:36:54.579 --> 00:36:55.120 on the planet 00:36:55.120 --> 00:36:55.820 and tell them 00:36:55.820 --> 00:36:56.440 about him. 00:36:57.480 --> 00:36:58.180 And we're to give 00:36:58.180 --> 00:36:58.820 to that and pray 00:36:58.820 --> 00:36:58.980 to that. 00:36:58.980 --> 00:36:59.500 That's why we 00:36:59.500 --> 00:37:00.480 support missionaries. 00:37:00.579 --> 00:37:00.980 That's why, 00:37:01.159 --> 00:37:01.679 especially if you 00:37:01.679 --> 00:37:02.059 come to the 00:37:02.059 --> 00:37:02.519 Tuesday night 00:37:02.519 --> 00:37:03.019 prayer meeting, 00:37:03.099 --> 00:37:03.519 which I hope 00:37:03.519 --> 00:37:04.219 you do sometime, 00:37:04.500 --> 00:37:05.480 we pray for 00:37:05.480 --> 00:37:05.980 the missionaries. 00:37:06.079 --> 00:37:06.599 We pray for 00:37:06.599 --> 00:37:07.179 missionaries in 00:37:07.179 --> 00:37:07.980 our staff prayer 00:37:07.980 --> 00:37:08.480 meeting on a 00:37:08.480 --> 00:37:09.119 weekly basis. 00:37:09.260 --> 00:37:10.199 We pray for 00:37:10.199 --> 00:37:10.800 missionaries. 00:37:11.340 --> 00:37:11.780 And one other 00:37:11.780 --> 00:37:12.119 thing, 00:37:13.240 --> 00:37:14.079 last thing, 00:37:14.199 --> 00:37:14.460 Andrew, 00:37:15.119 --> 00:37:16.260 Jesus is telling 00:37:16.260 --> 00:37:17.699 me to have his 00:37:17.699 --> 00:37:19.000 heart for this 00:37:19.000 --> 00:37:19.260 city. 00:37:20.840 --> 00:37:21.960 Jesus is telling 00:37:21.960 --> 00:37:23.320 me to have his 00:37:23.320 --> 00:37:24.800 heart for this 00:37:24.800 --> 00:37:25.099 city. 00:37:26.019 --> 00:37:27.300 If I enter into 00:37:27.300 --> 00:37:28.099 a kingdom where 00:37:28.099 --> 00:37:29.259 Jesus is present 00:37:29.259 --> 00:37:31.360 and growth means 00:37:31.360 --> 00:37:32.139 that he becomes 00:37:32.139 --> 00:37:33.159 more present to 00:37:33.159 --> 00:37:34.539 me, and if I 00:37:34.539 --> 00:37:35.239 enter into a 00:37:35.239 --> 00:37:35.819 kingdom where 00:37:35.819 --> 00:37:36.900 Jesus is present 00:37:36.900 --> 00:37:37.639 and he's present 00:37:37.639 --> 00:37:39.079 as my Savior and 00:37:39.079 --> 00:37:40.920 as my Lord, then 00:37:40.920 --> 00:37:41.880 that means that I'm 00:37:41.880 --> 00:37:42.699 to try to get the 00:37:42.699 --> 00:37:43.440 heart of Jesus. 00:37:45.259 --> 00:37:45.659 And you know, 00:37:45.699 --> 00:37:46.599 it's so easy for 00:37:46.599 --> 00:37:47.159 us to look at 00:37:47.159 --> 00:37:48.239 Ottawa and think 00:37:48.239 --> 00:37:49.440 there's so many 00:37:49.440 --> 00:37:50.539 things going on in 00:37:50.539 --> 00:37:51.519 Ottawa that are 00:37:51.519 --> 00:37:53.079 far from God, 00:37:53.199 --> 00:37:53.779 that are completely 00:37:53.779 --> 00:37:55.019 opposed to God, 00:37:55.139 --> 00:37:55.759 that are maybe 00:37:55.759 --> 00:37:57.159 hateful to God, 00:37:57.159 --> 00:37:59.179 and it can 00:37:59.179 --> 00:37:59.859 seem as if 00:37:59.859 --> 00:38:00.679 sometimes the 00:38:00.679 --> 00:38:01.779 city has no 00:38:01.779 --> 00:38:02.779 place for Jesus, 00:38:02.940 --> 00:38:03.639 no place for 00:38:03.639 --> 00:38:04.719 God, and to 00:38:04.719 --> 00:38:05.440 take the city's 00:38:05.440 --> 00:38:06.299 own understanding 00:38:06.299 --> 00:38:06.879 of itself. 00:38:07.000 --> 00:38:07.759 And this text is 00:38:07.759 --> 00:38:09.599 calling us to 00:38:09.599 --> 00:38:10.279 have Jesus' 00:38:10.579 --> 00:38:11.299 heart for the 00:38:11.299 --> 00:38:13.679 city, to 00:38:13.679 --> 00:38:14.539 weep over it, 00:38:15.839 --> 00:38:16.420 and to also 00:38:16.420 --> 00:38:18.179 trust that there 00:38:18.179 --> 00:38:19.279 are people still 00:38:19.279 --> 00:38:20.239 unreached within 00:38:20.239 --> 00:38:21.940 this city who are 00:38:21.940 --> 00:38:22.679 to be reached with 00:38:22.679 --> 00:38:24.339 the gospel and who 00:38:24.339 --> 00:38:25.019 will respond. 00:38:25.019 --> 00:38:27.980 God, please 00:38:27.980 --> 00:38:28.360 stand. 00:38:33.940 --> 00:38:34.739 Remember that the 00:38:34.739 --> 00:38:35.599 great question of 00:38:35.599 --> 00:38:36.679 the text is not 00:38:36.679 --> 00:38:37.460 will those who are 00:38:37.460 --> 00:38:39.719 saved be few, that 00:38:39.719 --> 00:38:40.719 the great question of 00:38:40.719 --> 00:38:41.659 the text is will 00:38:41.659 --> 00:38:42.699 you enter through 00:38:42.699 --> 00:38:44.019 the narrow door and 00:38:44.019 --> 00:38:44.699 be saved? 00:38:46.139 --> 00:38:47.380 And I just say some 00:38:47.380 --> 00:38:48.099 of us might have 00:38:48.099 --> 00:38:49.000 business that we have 00:38:49.000 --> 00:38:49.759 to make with God 00:38:49.759 --> 00:38:51.280 right now, that some 00:38:51.280 --> 00:38:52.199 of us need to say, 00:38:53.099 --> 00:38:53.780 and I'm not going to 00:38:53.780 --> 00:38:54.599 give you a prayer to 00:38:54.599 --> 00:38:55.159 lead you, and I'm 00:38:55.159 --> 00:38:55.679 just going to say 00:38:55.679 --> 00:38:56.279 that if the Holy 00:38:56.279 --> 00:38:57.159 Spirit is pressing 00:38:57.159 --> 00:38:58.299 upon you, then what 00:38:58.299 --> 00:38:59.259 you need to just do 00:38:59.259 --> 00:39:00.779 is just say, in a 00:39:00.779 --> 00:39:01.599 sense, Andrew, if 00:39:01.599 --> 00:39:02.119 you could put the 00:39:02.119 --> 00:39:03.119 fifth point back up, 00:39:04.319 --> 00:39:07.079 the question is, will 00:39:07.079 --> 00:39:07.719 those who are saved 00:39:07.719 --> 00:39:08.059 be few? 00:39:08.119 --> 00:39:08.739 If you could put that 00:39:08.739 --> 00:39:09.400 back up, that would 00:39:09.400 --> 00:39:10.059 be great, very 00:39:10.059 --> 00:39:10.420 helpful. 00:39:10.860 --> 00:39:11.839 Maybe for some of us 00:39:11.839 --> 00:39:12.579 here, the Holy Spirit 00:39:12.579 --> 00:39:13.779 is impringing on your 00:39:13.779 --> 00:39:14.559 heart right now, and 00:39:14.559 --> 00:39:15.420 all you have to do is 00:39:15.420 --> 00:39:18.400 say, yes, Jesus, I 00:39:18.400 --> 00:39:19.440 want to enter through 00:39:19.440 --> 00:39:20.659 the narrow door and be 00:39:20.659 --> 00:39:20.980 saved. 00:39:21.059 --> 00:39:21.920 Now, I understand those 00:39:21.920 --> 00:39:22.599 other things that 00:39:22.599 --> 00:39:24.099 you said, that George 00:39:24.099 --> 00:39:25.000 said is in the text. 00:39:25.059 --> 00:39:25.860 I see it in the text. 00:39:26.440 --> 00:39:28.059 I understand that it's 00:39:28.059 --> 00:39:29.440 not just a moment that 00:39:29.440 --> 00:39:31.519 this is for life, and 00:39:31.519 --> 00:39:32.099 it's going to mean I'm 00:39:32.099 --> 00:39:32.539 going to make some 00:39:32.539 --> 00:39:33.219 changes, you're going 00:39:33.219 --> 00:39:34.039 to make changes in me, 00:39:34.099 --> 00:39:36.099 but yes, I feel the 00:39:36.099 --> 00:39:37.119 Holy Spirit pressing 00:39:37.119 --> 00:39:38.940 upon me, and yes, I 00:39:38.940 --> 00:39:39.739 want to enter that 00:39:39.739 --> 00:39:40.519 narrow door and be 00:39:40.519 --> 00:39:40.799 saved. 00:39:42.719 --> 00:39:45.880 And for all of us who 00:39:45.880 --> 00:39:47.519 are Christ followers, the 00:39:47.519 --> 00:39:48.739 Holy Spirit is impinging 00:39:48.739 --> 00:39:49.519 on our hearts. 00:39:49.519 --> 00:39:50.619 For some of us, it 00:39:50.619 --> 00:39:51.900 might be that we have 00:39:51.900 --> 00:39:53.159 to confess before God 00:39:53.159 --> 00:39:54.059 that we are taking the 00:39:54.059 --> 00:39:55.019 city's definition of 00:39:55.019 --> 00:39:55.699 itself, that we're 00:39:55.699 --> 00:39:56.860 hating the city, or 00:39:56.860 --> 00:39:58.079 that we're afraid of 00:39:58.079 --> 00:39:59.179 the city, and that we 00:39:59.179 --> 00:40:00.119 shouldn't be afraid of 00:40:00.119 --> 00:40:01.019 the city or hate the 00:40:01.019 --> 00:40:02.079 city, but ask for the 00:40:02.079 --> 00:40:03.259 heart of Jesus towards 00:40:03.259 --> 00:40:03.780 our city. 00:40:07.460 --> 00:40:08.820 Or maybe he's calling 00:40:08.820 --> 00:40:10.579 us to go to some 00:40:10.579 --> 00:40:12.179 people group with prayer 00:40:12.179 --> 00:40:13.880 to bring Jesus to them. 00:40:15.039 --> 00:40:16.079 Or maybe it's just that 00:40:16.079 --> 00:40:17.259 we need to have Jesus be 00:40:17.259 --> 00:40:18.400 more present to us. 00:40:18.400 --> 00:40:19.780 But the Holy Spirit is 00:40:19.780 --> 00:40:20.780 impinging on your heart, 00:40:20.880 --> 00:40:21.920 and I call you, invite 00:40:21.920 --> 00:40:23.380 you, exhort you, urge you 00:40:23.380 --> 00:40:25.099 to listen to that voice 00:40:25.099 --> 00:40:25.940 of the Holy Spirit in 00:40:25.940 --> 00:40:26.880 your life and call it to 00:40:26.880 --> 00:40:27.900 God in prayer today, to 00:40:27.900 --> 00:40:29.000 do business with God 00:40:29.000 --> 00:40:30.200 before you leave. 00:40:30.760 --> 00:40:31.579 Let's bow our heads in 00:40:31.579 --> 00:40:31.800 prayer. 00:40:36.800 --> 00:40:38.260 Father, we know that you 00:40:38.260 --> 00:40:39.460 are touching many hearts 00:40:39.460 --> 00:40:41.220 here this morning, and 00:40:41.220 --> 00:40:42.300 Father, I don't know the 00:40:42.300 --> 00:40:43.160 work that you're doing in 00:40:43.160 --> 00:40:43.559 hearts. 00:40:43.760 --> 00:40:44.639 I know the work that you're 00:40:44.639 --> 00:40:45.300 doing in mine. 00:40:46.440 --> 00:40:47.559 Father, I give you thanks 00:40:47.559 --> 00:40:48.579 and praise that you know 00:40:48.579 --> 00:40:49.559 our hearts, that you know 00:40:49.559 --> 00:40:50.779 the center of who we are, 00:40:51.219 --> 00:40:52.279 that you know our deepest 00:40:52.279 --> 00:40:54.079 needs, that you know what 00:40:54.079 --> 00:40:55.940 you are pressing on us at 00:40:55.940 --> 00:40:56.699 this point in time. 00:40:56.759 --> 00:40:57.900 And Father, we invite, we 00:40:57.900 --> 00:40:59.039 give you permission, we 00:40:59.039 --> 00:41:00.699 urge, we call out to you, 00:41:00.779 --> 00:41:02.179 Father, that you would pour 00:41:02.179 --> 00:41:03.460 out your Holy Spirit upon 00:41:03.460 --> 00:41:04.759 us at our point of deepest 00:41:04.759 --> 00:41:06.299 need, that that pressing 00:41:06.299 --> 00:41:08.019 upon us by your Holy Spirit, 00:41:08.139 --> 00:41:09.420 that that would bear much 00:41:09.420 --> 00:41:11.759 fruit, that for those of us 00:41:11.759 --> 00:41:12.679 who have never given or 00:41:12.679 --> 00:41:13.779 entered that narrow door, 00:41:13.940 --> 00:41:15.699 that we, they would enter 00:41:15.699 --> 00:41:17.839 that narrow door today and 00:41:17.839 --> 00:41:18.399 be saved. 00:41:19.199 --> 00:41:20.539 For all of us, Father, is 00:41:20.539 --> 00:41:22.039 whether it's the heart for 00:41:22.039 --> 00:41:23.000 the city or whatever it is, 00:41:23.099 --> 00:41:24.819 Father, do that work within 00:41:24.819 --> 00:41:25.759 us all to your glory. 00:41:26.119 --> 00:41:27.899 Father, make us disciples 00:41:27.899 --> 00:41:28.639 of Jesus. 00:41:28.899 --> 00:41:30.779 Make us disciples gripped by 00:41:30.779 --> 00:41:32.599 the gospel, living for your 00:41:32.599 --> 00:41:32.919 glory. 00:41:33.500 --> 00:41:35.000 Father, pour out your Holy 00:41:35.000 --> 00:41:36.599 Spirit upon us and form us 00:41:36.599 --> 00:41:38.319 and mold us into a prayerful 00:41:38.319 --> 00:41:41.079 Bible teaching church with a 00:41:41.079 --> 00:41:42.759 heart for this city and a 00:41:42.759 --> 00:41:43.519 heart for the world. 00:41:43.519 --> 00:41:45.800 And this we ask in the name 00:41:45.800 --> 00:41:47.579 of Jesus, your Son and our 00:41:47.579 --> 00:41:47.880 Savior. 00:41:48.219 --> 00:41:48.539 Amen.