Central Truth

God's word is very clear. The road to eternal life is not easy. We face choices every day. The decisions we make will affect our destiny.

Reflections

At the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus gave four very clear warnings: enter by the narrow gate, beware of false prophets, beware of false disciples who say "Lord, Lord" but do not do my work, and build your house on a solid foundation.

We enter through the narrow gate by first accepting Christ as our Savior. This begins our journey along the path of eternal life. He warns that this is a hard road and we will encounter circumstances and people who will attempt to deter us.

The key to staying on this narrow road is knowing God's Word by reading, studying and following it. When we lack this knowledge and encounter the false prophets and disciples, we will not be able to recognize them, and their lies and deceptions can deter us. But with God's Word, when circumstances try to defeat us, they cannot, because we can stand strong in faith in Jesus, the Rock, knowing that He is with us.

Many of us have GPS systems that we use when traveling. We follow the directions unquestioningly and expect to get to our destination. When we deviate, a synthesized digital voice interrupts us and says 'recalculating.' One of the things a GPS cannot do, however, is warn us of the obstacles on the road ahead.

As Christians, our GPS (Gods Plan for Salvation) should be the Bible. The Scriptures are our foundation; there to guide us, warn us, and bring us to our final destination. When we deviate, the voice that speaks to us is not digital, but divine. It's the voice of the Holy Spirit guiding and calling us to repentance.

For me, one of the best illustrations of this journey along the narrow road is the book Pilgrim's Progress. Written over 300 years ago it is still relevant to our present day walk as believers. It chronicles the journey of a man, Christian, who, despite all the road blocks encountered along his journey, is enabled by his faith to reach his goal, The Shining City. Lord, strengthen me as I walk this narrow road.

Discussion Questions

1. If you claim to be a follower of Christ are you really committed to following the narrow road every day? What keeps you on this road?

2. Do you make time to study God's Word and are you able to recognize the false prophets and disciples that you encounter? Have you ever been deterred? If so, how did you respond?

3. Jesus said that the gate to hell is wide and the way easy. Knowing this, are there people that you care about who are trying to enter through this gate? What have you done to guide them to the right path?