Why We Must Strive to Enter Through the Narrow Door (Luke 13:22-24)

Jesus said, “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able” (Luke 13:24). There is probably an obvious question you are asking. It’s the same question I asked when reading these verses and I looked forward to studying them to learn the answer. Jesus says we are supposed to strive to enter through the narrow door, so does that mean we get to heaven by trying hard enough? It almost sounds like: If we put forth enough effort we will be saved If we don’t put forth enough effort we will go to hell. But this isn’t true because we know we are saved by grace through faith and not by works. No matter how hard we try we could never save ourselves. So how do we explain this? Why is striving required to enter through the narrow door? Check out this message for the answer. https://youtu.be/k6zEVj5yKqo Jesus said, “Strive to enter through the narrow door” (Luke 13:24). Why is striving required to enter? Check out this message for the answer. Table of contentsFamily Worship GuideSermon NotesLesson One: Many people will not be able to enter through the narrow door.Lesson Two: There has always only been a remnant.Lesson Three: Striving is required to enter through the narrow door because (part one) the door is narrow.Lesson Three: Striving is required to enter through the narrow door because (part two) of pride.Lesson Three: Striving is required to enter through the narrow door because (part three) we love sin.Lesson Four: We should be thankful if we have entered through the narrow door. Family Worship Guide Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Luke 13:22-24, Matthew 7:13-14—Why do you think Jesus didn’t answer the man’s question with the word yes or no? What does the narrow door represent? What question did Jesus encourage the man to ask himself? Why do you think many people will not be able to enter through the narrow door? Day 2: Romans 9:27, 11:5, John 14:6, Acts 4:12—What is a remnant? Why do you think there has always only been a remnant? Can you think of other examples from Scripture of times there was only a remnant? Why must we strive to enter the narrow door? What does it look like to strive to enter through the narrow door? Day 3: Luke 13:20-21, 18:9, John 3:19—How does pride keep us from entering the narrow door? Although we are not saved by works, what is required to be saved? What is agape? How is agape different than other forms of love? Why do we love sin unconditionally and sacrificially regardless of the consequences? How should we feel if we are able to enter through the narrow door? Sermon Notes The title of this morning’s sermon is, “Why We Must Strive to Enter Through the Narrow Door.” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves at chapter 13, verse 22. We will get through verse 24. Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word… Luke 13:22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” Let’s pray. Briefly take your mind back to my last sermon in Luke. We studied the parables of the mustard seed and leaven. Both of those parables are about the kingdom of God spreading. What could these parables make people think? That everyone will be saved! The kingdom of God will spread and envelop everyone. But then we reach this morning’s verses, which provide the balance. Jesus is traveling and look at the question he is asked… Luke 13:22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23a And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” The scribes often discussed how many people would be saved, and somebody asked Jesus to share his thoughts. I would guess that this was a common question in Jesus’s day, not just with the scribes, but with everyone, just as it’s a common question in our day. Haven’t all of us wondered at times how many people will be saved: “Will it be many or few?” Now before we look at Jesus’s answer, let me ask you: do you remember in a recent sermon I said that often Jesus didn’t seem to answer the question he was asked? Briefly look one chapter to the left at Luke 12:41… Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” The answer is either, “For you,” or “For all.” But Jesus said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? This isn’t the answer to the question Peter asked. Often, Jesus wouldn’t answer the question because he could look past the question to people’s hearts. He knew what they needed to hear, and what they needed to hear was different than the answer to the question they asked. So, he would tell them something else. This is another example: someone asks if there will be few people saved. The answer is yes or no. But look at the rest of Luke 13:23 to see what Jesus said… Luke 13:23b And he said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. Instead of answering whether few will be saved, Jesus put it back on his listeners. He wants them to ask, “Am I saved?” It’s like Jesus says… “The question is not how many people will be saved, but whether or not you are saved! Figure out the answer to this question about your salvation and then we can talk about the salvation of others.” But even though Jesus didn’t directly answer whether few will be saved, he did indirectly answer that many will not be saved. He said for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. And this brings us to lesson one… Lesson One: Many people will not be able to enter through the narrow door. There was one point during our recent elder retreat when we were having a conversation about salvation and Vicki said something about few people being saved and she commented that she doesn’t like that or understand why that’s the case, but it’s what the Bible teaches: And she’s right: Regardless of what we think… Or regardless of what we might want to think…because I believe we all want to think many will be saved… Regardless of what other people say… Regardless of what any polls tell us…seems like they always come out with polls showing huge numbers of people claiming to be Christians The truth is many people are not going to heaven. These verses have some similarities to what Jesus taught in Matthew 7:13-14… Matthew 7:13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. The words many and few describe the number of people going to hell versus heaven. What percent do many and few represent? Is it 60/40? 70/30? Maybe 80/20 or even 90/10? The Lord doesn’t tell us the exact percent, but He does tell us it’s many versus few. Let me tell you one reason this is so important to keep in mind… When we look around and see so many people rejecting Christ, it is easy to ask: Could all these people really be wrong? Could all these people really be kept out of heaven? Could all these other religions really lead people to hell? The answer is yes. What we see around us agrees with what Jesus taught. If Jesus said, “Many will seek to enter…AND BE ABLE TO,” then we would have to look around in confusion because what we are seeing doesn’t seem to agree with what Jesus said: If all these people were right If all these people would go to heaven If all these other religions didn’t lead people to hell Then it would seem like the opposite of what Jesus said. This is why we can’t judge spiritual truth by popularity or majority. In fact, based on what Jesus said if you look around and see most of the people going one direction, then you know you shouldn’t go that direction. The fact that “everyone is doing it” is the evidence that it is NOT the narrow door. Now it can be discouraging at times to feel like you are in the minority and so many people disagree with you. And it is only going to get worse as the world gets worse. So I want to give you some encouragement that I hope you can remember if you ever feel this discouragement…and this brings us to lesson two… Lesson Two: There has always only been a remnant. God’s people have always been the minority. If we ever feel like we are in the majority, there are only two possibilities: First, we are deceived. We are believing lies. Second, we are in the millennium with Christ physically, bodily, ruling and reigning from Jerusalem and the glory of the Lord has filled the earth and the majority are Christ followers. But until then Christians will always be part of what’s known as the remnant. Let me get you to consider how this has been the case throughout human history by asking you to think about some familiar accounts: What do you think it was like for Noah and his family while they built the ark? 2 Peter 2:5 says Noah was a preacher of righteousness. That means Noah was preaching during those 120 years…but not one single person listened! Talk about a remnant. Only 8 people were saved out of billions. Lot and his wife and daughters were the remnant that escaped Sodom. Lot’s wife looked back wishing she was part of the majority, and when that happened it’s almost like she immediately rejected the narrow door and headed for destruction. In Elijah’s day he thought he was the only faithful Israelite, but God said there were 7,000.