Matthew 7:13-14 - Enter through the
narrow gate. For wide is the gate and
broad is the road that leads to
destruction, and many enter through
it. But small is the gate and narrow
the road that leads to life, and only a
few find it.
What is the narrow gate?
What is the narrow gate?
John 10:7-9 - Therefore Jesus said
again, "I tell you the truth, I am the
gate for the sheep. All who ever came
before me were thieves and robbers,
but the sheep did not listen to them. I
am the gate; whoever enters through
me will be saved. He will come in and
go out, and find pasture.”
John 14:6 - Jesus answered, "I am
the way and the truth and the life. No
one comes to the Father except
through me.”
Are Christians narrow-minded to
claim that Jesus is the only way to
be saved?
Sometimes you are allowed you to
have choices…
- Ice cream
- Sports
Sometimes you are not allowed to
have choices
What is wrong with this picture?
2+2=4
2+2=5
Opps
Christianity is unique in claiming to
have absolute truth. Either Jesus was
correct or he was wrong, there is no
middle ground.
C.S. Lewis stated: “I am trying here to
prevent anyone saying the really
foolish thing that people often say
about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus
as a great moral teacher, but I don’t
accept His claim to be God.’ That is
the one thing we must not say. A man
who was merely a man and said the
sort of things Jesus said would not
be a great moral teacher.
He would either be a lunatic-on a
level with then man who says he is a
poached egg-or else he would be the
Devil of Hell. You must make your
choice. Either this mans was, and is
the Son of God: Or else a madman or
something worse. You can shut Him
up for a fool, you can spit at Him and
kill Him as a demon;
or you can fall at His feet and call Him
Lord and God. But let us not come up
with any patronizing nonsense about
His being a great human teacher. He
has not left that open to us. He did not
intend to.
We must be careful not to get lulled
into sleep and believe that even
though our family and friends don’t
trust Jesus as their Savior they are
still ok.
2 Corinthians 5:19-21 - And he has
committed to us the message of
reconciliation. We are therefore
Christ’s ambassadors, as though
God were making his appeal through
us. We implore you on Christ’s
behalf: Be reconciled to God.
Sometimes the most loving thing you
can do for someone is offend them!
Proverbs 27:6 - Wounds from a friend
can be trusted, but an enemy
multiplies kisses.
Assignment for this week…
- Pray that God would open a door for
you and give you a chance to speak
to someone you know
- Pray that God would soften the
hearts of those around you
- Act upon God’s leadings
Matthew 7:15-20 - Watch out for false
prophets. They come to you in
sheep's clothing, but inwardly they
are ferocious wolves. By their fruit
you will recognize them. Do people
pick grapes from thorn bushes, or
figs from thistles? Likewise every
good tree bears good fruit, but a bad
tree bears bad fruit. A good tree
cannot bear bad fruit,
and a bad tree cannot bear good
fruit. Every tree that does not bear
good fruit is cut down and thrown
into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you
will recognize them.
How do you recognize a false prophet
and how do you guard yourself
against falsehood?
- To spot a counterfeit, study the real
thing.
Acts 17:11 - Now the Bereans were of
more noble character than the
Thessalonians, for they received the
message with great eagerness and
examined the Scriptures every day to
see if what Paul said was true.
Examples:
Jehovah’s Witnesses: Deny the Trinity
- Countered by: Matthew 28:19
Mormonism: Saved by works
- Countered by: Eph 2:8-9
Christian Science: No resurrection
- Countered by: 1 Corinthians
15:20; Luke 24:6
verse 16 and 20: By their fruit you
will recognize them:
Fruit of the heart, and fruit of pure
doctrine.
1 Samuel 16:7 - The LORD does not
look at the things man look at. Man
looks at the outward appearance, but
the LORD looks at the heart.
Some general guidelines for
recognizing a false teacher:
1. Does the teacher teach reliance
upon God and grace or upon self?
2. Does the teacher preach the true
gospel of the good news
concerning Jesus death, burial and
resurrection?
Some general guidelines for
recognizing a false teacher:
3. Does the teacher only say things to
please people?
4. Does the teacher live a blatantly
immoral life?
Does the teacher teach reliance upon
God and grace or upon self?
John 15:4-5 - Remain in me, and I will
remain in you. No branch can bear
fruit by itself; it must remain in the
vine. Neither can you bear fruit
unless you remain in me. I am the
vine; you are the branches. If a man
remains in me and I in him,
he will bear much fruit; apart from
me you can do nothing.
Jeremiah 17:7-10 - But blessed is the
man who trusts in the LORD, whose
confidence is in him. He will be like a
tree planted by the water that sends
out its roots by the stream. It does
not fear when heat comes; its leaves
are always green. It has no worries
in a year of drought and never fails
to bear fruit.
Does the teacher preach the true
gospel of the good news concerning
Jesus death, burial and resurrection?
- Prosperity gospel
- Good works gospel
Does the teacher only say things to
please people?
- False Prophets in the Old Testament
- Sometimes we need to hear words
which hurt…
- David and Nathan
- Peter at Pentecost
Psalm 141:5 - “Let a righteous man
strike me - it is a kindness; let him
rebuke me - it is oil on my head. My
head will not refuse it.”
Does the teacher live a blatantly
immoral life?
2 Peter 2
- Deny the Sovereign Lord
- Greedy for money
- Follow corrupt desires
- Despise authorities
- Sexually immoral
- Appeal to the lustful desires of
humans
Finally, a word of Encouragement
Psalm 119:105 - Thy word is a lamp
unto my feet and a light unto my
path.
John 14:18 - I will not leave you as
orphans; I will come to you.
John 16:13 - But when he, the Spirit
of truth comes, he will guide you into
all truth.