What Jesus said about

The Road Less Traveled

Adapted from a Rick Burdette sermonhttp://www.sermoncentral.com/print_friendly.asp?

SermonID=166178

An English professor was on her way to class one day. She was running late and was going over the speed limit. Then she

saw the dreaded red and blue lights in her rear view mirror and heard the siren, and she pulled over. As the policeman was writing her a ticket, he asked her

why she’d been going so fast.

Being an English professor, she thought she’d be a little clever… and so she

quoted Robert Frost:

‘I have promises to keepand miles to gobefore I sleep.’

The police officer smiled, and having apparently read a fair amount of Robert

Frost’s poems himself, replied: ‘Well Miss, Frost chose the road less traveled,

and, unfortunately for you…this wasn't it’.“

http://www.sermoncentral.com/print_friendly.asp?SermonID=177014

The Poem by Robert Frost is considered a classic. However in the poem, there

really isn't much difference between the two paths. One of them is ‘just as fair’ as the other. Both are ‘equally’ covered in

fresh, untrodden leaves.

The footsteps of other walkers have "worn them really about the same." So

the walker chooses between two more or less identical options, but knows that

someday he'll be describing his choice as a life-changing big deal.”

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080908051806AAJF89r

One of the hard truths of the Bible is that the road to eternity is the road less

traveled and the road which we each choose does in fact have eternal

consequences.

Matthew 7:13 ESV "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.

One preacher said, “I’m not sure how many funerals I’ve done in 30 years of

ministry, but it would be in the hundreds. I’ve done biker’s funerals, golfer’s

funerals, hunter’s funerals, policemen’s funerals, veteran’s funerals, and the

hardest of all, children’s funerals. I’ve dealt with sudden death and long

illnesses.

I had a funeral last year where the family wanted two songs played: Brad Paisley’s

“When I get Where I’m Goin’” and then right before I shared the sermon, Garth

Brooks’ “I’ve Got Friends in Low Places.” I’m serious; I kid you not. But

there is one thing I’ve noticed about every single funeral I’ve ever done…

no matter who the person was or the life they’ve lived, someone will always say,

‘They’re in a much better place.’I know that’s a comforting thought. I

know death is painful. The separation hurts, and it’s easier to deal with if we can tell ourselves, ‘They’re in a much

better place.’

The struggle I have with this is I can’t preach anyone into heaven at their

funeral. The road they’ve chosen to walk here on earth has come to an end. For

some the walk was long, for others much shorter, and I’m thankful God is

the righteous judge of our lives and not me or you. But Jesus says something

powerful about our steps here on earth and the road we’ve chosen to walk.”

Matthew 7:13 ESV "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. Let’s look today at two very different

roads and how essential it is to choose the one less traveled. As with any journey we start with the entrance.

There are some very famous and easily recognizable entrances in the world.

Graceland, Bass Pro Shop, the Gateway arch, the entrance to Disney World, the I-44 McDonalds. You see those entrances and you immediately know where you’re headed. You know what’s behind those

doors.

What’s behind door number 2?

Jesus describes two entrances, two gates that we face as we enter life. One

is wide and the other is narrow.These are not entrances we will face at

birth. Some of us will be born with a silver spoon, others a plastic spork. We do not get to choose our parents, our gender, our race, or our personalities.

God has designed those in the womb. Psalms 139:13 ESV For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. 14 I praise you, for I

am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul

knows it very well.Each of us was created by God and for

God.

The entrances to life that Jesus is speaking of come with a choice,

regardless of our differences. Each and every one of us will choose the purpose and direction of our lives. And it begins

with the gate we choose to walk through. Jesus makes it clear most people

choose the wide gate.

The wide gate is easy to recognize and even easier to walk through. It’s natural,

it’s well lit, there’s no real difficulty in getting through this one. But if you look

there is a second gate. It is tiny in comparison and only one or two people

are squeezing through it. And on the other side are a cross and a basin of

water and a towel.

Pretty simple choice for most people? They go with the flow of people through

the wide, well lit, naturally easy way instead of breaking out from the crowd

to look for the narrow gate.

The narrow gate leads to the cross. If I walk through this gate I walk to my death. And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny

himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23 ESV

In fact, Jesus says, I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.

John 10:9 ESV

John 14:6 ESV Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No

one comes to the Father except through me.

Behind the wide gate I can be my own boss, go where I want, when I want. I

care about me first and I make my choices in life accordingly.

But behind the narrow gate lies a Savior who demands hardship. I have to lose my life in Him to find it. I have to die to

self to live in Him. My feet are supposed to follow His. I’m called to take the next step: following Jesus into the unknown.

That’s exactly what Jesus says.

Choose carefully your traveling companions.

Jesus continues His wide & narrow gates teaching with words of warning.

Not all of the people who call Jesus Lord are on the right road.

Matthew 7:15 ESV "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's

clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.

18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good

fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. 21 "Not everyone who says to me,

'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of

my Father who is in heaven.

22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your

name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in

your name?' 23 And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me,

you workers of lawlessness.'

The way to heaven is not determined by majority vote. It is determined by

whether you’ve entered by the small gate or not. And that’s a choice every

single one of us will make with our lives.

C.S. Lewis in “Mere Christianity” writes, “Every time you are making a choice,

you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into

something a little different than it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life you are slowly turning this central thing either into a heavenly creature or into a hellish creature;

Either into a creature that is in harmony with God, and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and

with its fellow creatures, and with itself…Each of us at each moment is progressing to the one state or the

other.”

That’s exactly what Jesus meant when he said John 15:9 ESV As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in

my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's

commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy

may be full.

12 "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that

someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do

what I command you.

There aren’t as many people on that narrow road because it’s very narrow in its focus. In fact there is an absolute that

people who travel this road have accepted…Jesus is the only way to

heaven.That is not a popular statement or belief

in this world’s current philosophy of salvation. It’s extremely narrow to say Jesus is the only Savior of mankind.

Without Him you are headed to destruction.

Because most people believe you can work your way to heaven. “If I do more

good things than bad I’m in.” Like a great heavenly scale we pray the good

outweighs the bad. Then we can be “in a much better place” or if we believe in

God then that belief gets us into heaven.

“I know he never went to church or was really all that religious, but I know he believed in God.” Folks, works save

none of us. Salvation is a gift from God by grace that we accept through faith

and believing.James 2:19 ESV You believe that God is

one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

So most of the world is pushing along in the flow believing it can save itself or

that simply believing is enough. All the while God says the narrow road and small gate require a new birth. If you want to see my kingdom, to enter my kingdom, it requires that you be born

again.

It is the spirit of Christ living in us that changes our hearts, refocuses our

vision, adjusts our priorities and makes us long for home more than here. It’s

that Holy Spirit who creates a new person as we die to self, are buried in

Christ and rise to walk in new life.

You will not follow Jesus in the first step or the next step into the unknown

without the influence of His Spirit. You can quench the Spirit, resist the Spirit,

lie to the Spirit, or live in the Spirit.Romans 8:5 ESV For those who live

according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does

not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh

cannot please God.

9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not

have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you,

although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of

righteousness.

11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who

raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies

through his Spirit who dwells in you.

You can live your life influenced by your nature or God’s Spirit. Most will choose

to be their own master. 2 Corinthians 13:5 ESV Examine

yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail

to meet the test!

What are we to look for when we examine and test ourselves? We are to see that Jesus Christ is in you. We are

not to look for perfection, in ourselves or in others; but we should see real

evidence of Jesus Christ in us. (Guzik)

Choices will be made through that filter. Tip your hat at God, but the fruit of your life bears out where you are, and where you’re going. It’s really crowded on this

road, too. So it must be right. If God is your co-pilot, you’re in the

wrong seat!Let Him take control.

When you belong to Christ. His Spirit lives and works in you. It’s a growing

relationship on the narrow road home, but the transformation of you becoming like Jesus is clear, to you and to others who share the same spirit and the same

road.If you’re on the narrow way don’t be

content & relaxed. You must be bearing fruit!

John 15:2 ESV Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

John 15:6 ESV If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch

and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and

burned.

The travelers on the wide & easy way will lure you to switching routes. Keep

your eyes on Christ.2 Peter 2:20 ESV For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world

through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again

entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them

than the first.

21 For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment

delivered to them. 22 What the true proverb says has happened to them:

"The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to

wallow in the mire."

Both roads don’t lead to the same place.

“The narrow road leads to life. Only a few find it. The broad road leads to

destruction and many enter through it.”Choices become habits, habits become character, character becomes destiny.

Life is a vapor. It’s gone before we know it. We put our kids in the crib and the next day we hand them the car keys.

Satan’s most effective lie isn’t “there is no God” or “there is no heaven or hell” or “sin doesn’t matter.” Satan’s greatest lie is “there is a God, there is a heaven and hell, and sin matters, but I’ll wait

until tomorrow to do anything about it.”

I’ll become God’s man tomorrow. I’ll start my walk with Jesus soon. But before we know it our choices have

become habits, our habits have become our character and our character has

determined our destiny.

Today, right now there’s still time to change the road you’re on. Jesus is still

the gate; life on the narrow road is abundant and full of joy. And it leads to heaven. Most people will not choose it.

But today you don’t have to be most people. You can be one of the few who

find it.

Frances Chan tells the story of Stan Gerlach in his book, “Crazy Love.” Stan was a successful business man asked to give the eulogy at a memorial service for a friend. Stan said he decided to share the gospel at the end of the message.

Stan told the mourners “You never know when God is going to take your life. At

that moment there’s nothing you can do about it. Are you ready?” Then Stan sat down, fell over and died. His wife and

sons tried to resuscitate him, but there was nothing they could do—just as Stan

had said a few moments earlier.

Frances Chan said he’d never forget receiving that call and heading over to the Gerlach’s home. “Stan’s wife, Suzy was just arriving home. She hugged me

and cried. One of the sons, John, stepped out of the car weeping. He

asked me “Did you hear the story? Did you hear about dad? I’m so proud of him for doing what he loved the most, telling

people about Jesus.”

Matthew 10:32 ESV So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in

heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my

Father who is in heaven.

Can you imagine what it felt like for Stan Gerlach? One moment he’s at a

memorial service saying, “This is who Jesus is.” The next he is before God hearing Jesus say, “This is who Stan

Gerlach is.” One second he was confessing Jesus; a second later Jesus

was confessing him. It happens that quickly. And it can happen to any of us. In the words of Stan Gerlach, “Are you

ready?”