Chapel Notes
by Mitch Kruse
Go Through the Narrow Gate
April 29, 2009 [Download PDF]
Panthers:
We approach life with God through one of two gates, traveling one of two roads, leading to one of two destinations. One is religious, traveling from the outside in. The other is relational, traveling from the inside out. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus described the two gates, the two roads, and the two destinations (Matt. 7:13-14).
The first gate is wide (Matt. 7:13). Jesus referenced the Pharisee’s outside-in righteousness, using an analogy of wide city gates typical of the day. They had taken God’s covenant community through a wide gate of rules, adding 1,500 of them to the 613 Old Testament laws. Paul said that they had created a righteousness of their own, not one that came from God (Rom. 10:1-3).
The road is broad. Two thousand years ago, the main road traveling in and out of city walls spanned about 24 feet wide, an image familiar to Jesus’ audience. The broad road most likely referred to the sinful nature. When we trust in our own man-made righteousness, we end up trusting in our own sinful nature for success. We fluctuate between legalism and license, based on our personal preferences, leaving us disconnected from intimacy with God. Paul said that those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God (Rom. 8:5-8).
The destination is destruction. The wide gate and broad road lead to death. Jesus said that the Pharisees’ outside-in righteousness actually closed the gates to the kingdom of heaven to others and even themselves (Matt. 23:13-14). The result is no life abundant and no life eternal.
Many are entering through it. The many are the proud in heart, both the legalistic and the licentious (Matt. 7:1-5, 6). Our natural state, by birth and by choice, travels through the wide gate, down the wide road, and to the destination of destruction (Gen. 8:21). Pride is the lock on the human heart.
The second gate is narrow (Matt. 7:14). Narrow meant that only one gate led to life. In Palestine, a narrow gate is entered within one’s being. Jesus described inside-out righteousness, one that looks within to find His Spirit. Christ is that gate (John 10:7-9). Jesus told the Pharisees that the kingdom of God was within them, or in their midst (Lk. 17:21). Describing the two gates to the Israelites who were entering the Promised Land, God said through Moses that the narrow gate was in their mouths and in their hearts (Deut. 30:14). Referencing this passage, Paul told the Romans that the narrow gate within is where they find Christ (Rom. 10:4-13). He called this the mystery of the gospel—Christ in you, the hope of glory (Col. 1:27).
The road is narrow. Two thousand years ago, there were narrow roads traveling in and out of city walls. These were the private entrances that spanned only 6 feet wide. Jesus was describing the personal relationship with His Spirit. Paul described this as the road that led to life (Rom. 8:9-11).
The destination is life. The Greek word for life is zoe, which means abundant and eternal life. Jesus said that we find both with God when we enter His narrow gate (John 10:10).
Few find it. They are the humble in heart (Matt. 5:3; 18:3). The key to the narrow gate of Christ is humility. He holds the key (Rev. 3:7) because He is humble in heart (Matt. 11:29). His half-brother James said that we should humbly receive the word of God planted in us that can save us (Jas. 1:21).
Choose life (Deut. 30:19). Go through the narrow gate. It’s a matter of the heart, and the only way to experience life with God.
Two people read the Bible. One goes through the narrow gate, one through the wide gate. One softens his heart to Christ in order to build up others while the other hardens his heart to be puffed up with knowledge.
Two people go to church. One goes through the narrow gate, one through the wide gate. One softens his heart to Christ’s mercy while the other hardens his heart hoping that others will see his religiosity.
Two people pray. One goes through the narrow gate, one through wide gate. One softens his heart to Christ’s lordship while the other hardens his heart in an attempt to manipulate the Savior.
Two people give. One goes through the narrow gate, one through the wide gate. One softens his heart to Christ’s generosity while the other hardens his heart desiring attention for his gift.
This week, choose life. Go through the narrow gate of Christ, not the wide gate of religion. Travel down the road led by the Spirit, not the road blinded by the sinful nature. Enjoy the destination of life abundant and life eternal with God over the destination of destruction. Pride is the lock on your heart. Humility is the key.
In Christ,
Mitch
Go Humbly
April 22, 2009 [Download PDF]
Panthers:
Have you ever struggled with how you should go to others with the gospel of full surrender to Christ? When a person is caught in his sin (desiring life apart from God), we tend to go to him in one of two extremes: either we condemn, or we are careless. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus described the be-do-go of full surrender. Jesus taught that who we are to be (Matt. 5), determines what we are to do (Matt. 6), which determines where we are to go (Matt. 7). The master communicator elaborated on the heart and mannerisms of an effective carrier of His gospel message. Jesus conveyed that we should not go to the world either condemningly or carelessly; rather, we should go connectedly with the Spirit of God (Matt. 7-12).
Do not go proudly with a hard heart of stone. Jesus commanded, “Do not judge” (Matt. 7:1). Jesus was communicating that we should not condemn because we will be condemned by God and others (Matt. 7:2; cf. Lk. 6:37-38). Paul said that when we condemn others we pass judgment on ourselves because we do the same things (Rom. 2:1). Jesus indicated that the judgment of God is predicated on how we flesh out His heart with others (Matt 5:7). A hard heart of stone is judgmental and it requires a severe tool to be shaped.
Are you condemning others? Jesus linked a condemning heart with the eyes, or one’s perspective. Borrowing an illustration from His construction days, He said that the antidote to a condemning heart was to take the plank out of our own eye so that we can see clearly enough to help someone with the speck in his (Matt. 7:3-5). The plank in our own eye is our personal sin of pride, and it leaves a blind spot (Eph. 4:18). Paul told the Galatians to go to restore someone caught in sin with total humility as if they were capable of committing the same mistake (Gal. 6:1).
Do not go proudly with a hard heart of sand. Jesus warned of the opposite kind of pride, one that is careless and loose with the gospel message, naively scattering it to cynics who would automatically reject what they hear. Jesus painted the image of wild, ravenous dogs and pigs who would not give any consideration to a pearl of wisdom (Matt. 7:6). Proverbs teaches of the same dilemma that occurs when one attempts to argue with a fool (Prov. 26:4-5). A sand heart is loose and licentious and requires a storm to be malleable.
Go humbly with a soft heart of clay. Jesus said that we should go to others with a heart of humility that is first connected with God. He commanded us to ASK – Ask, Seek, and Knock. Jesus described a progressive intensity of humility in prayer, one’s heart connected with God’s. He promised that if we ask humbly we will receive, if we seek (making our muscles move with our prayers) we will find, and if we knock persistently, the door will be opened (Matt. 7:7-11).
You might ask, “Receive what? Find what? Open what door?” In Luke’s parallel passage, we discover that the answer is not what, but who. “Your father in heaven (will) give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him” (Lk. 11:13, parentheses mine). The Holy Spirit removes the plank from our own eye and gives us wisdom to discern but not condemn (Col. 4:5-6). He offers us a clay heart, one that is malleable in the hands of the Potter.
Finally, we need to ask others. Jesus sums up the Sermon on the Mount with the main thing, “So, in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” (Matt. 7:12). The Law and the Prophets were designed to connect others to God. Jesus communicated that if we ask others about their needs, then we are better equipped to meet them in order to connect others with God. We won’t know how to serve them in the way that they want to be served unless we humbly ask and listen. Solomon said that anyone who answers before listening is foolish (Prov. 18:13). Jesus described this humility toward God and others as the greatest commandments (Matt. 22:37-40). Paul said that the entire law was summed up in one command, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Gal. 5:14). He told the Romans that love fulfilled the law. Jesus’ half-brother James agreed (Jas. 2:8).
This week, trade the condemning heart of stone or the careless heart of sand for a soft heart of clay that is connected with God. ASK the Holy Spirit to take the plank out of your own eye so that you can clearly see the speck in others. Ask others how you can serve them. In everything, act with Christ’s heart of humility, and His Spirit will connect them with God.
Clay,
Mitch
Do Discover Security in the Truth of Christ
April 8, 2009 [Download PDF]
Panthers:
Would you like to achieve financial security? How much money would it take for you to have it? Security means that we don’t have to worry. It means that we can trust in one resource to be true all of the time. This desire for security came from God providing man every seed bearing plant and every fruit bearing tree (Gen. 1:29).
The first sin was pride, man desiring security apart from God (Gen. 3:5-6). God had created Adam and Eve with humble hearts. The object and satisfaction of their desires was God. Pride made man the object of his own desires. Now each person is born with and chooses a proud heart (Gen. 8:21). He trusts in his giftedness rather than his godliness.
Money is pride’s measurement of our giftedness (time, talent, and treasures). Wisdom is humility’s measurement of our godliness (Christ in us). Christ is the image of God (Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3). He is humble in heart (Matt. 11:29), and He is the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:24). Humility toward Christ is the beginning of His wisdom in our lives (Prov. 11:2).
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned His disciples about attempting to satisfy their desires with money. He offered wisdom as an alternative. The fourth desire He addressed was security (Matt. 6:25-34).
Pride seeks security from money. “Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life” (Matt. 6:25a). When our hearts are hard, we focus on our own selfish desires, seeing money as the ticket to the doorway of security. We desire to be financially secure so that our needs will always be met. This leads us to a life of worry because we fear not having enough. Deep inside our hearts, we are not merely trusting in money for security, we are trusting in ourselves—our ability to earn, keep, and grow the stockpile of cash.
The result is insecurity (Matt. 6:25b-32). “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life” (Matt. 6:27). The more that we pursue the satisfaction of our desire for security apart from God, the more insecure we become. Insecurity is worrying that our resource will not remain true. Worry is literally a divided mind, or heart. We trust in God a little and in ourselves a lot. We think that by doing so we will add security to our lives.
We were created to function by trust; however, sometimes we have trust in the wrong object—that which is temporary rather than that which is eternal. Jesus summed it up as having “little faith” (Matt. 6:30). Paul called it walking by sight—having faith in what we see around us rather than believing in Who is in us (2 Cor. 4:18; 5:7). When we worry, we trust in the gifts rather than the Giver, in our giftedness rather than our godliness.
Our insecurity perpetuates the need to prove that our resources are true. So, we find ourselves leveraging our time, talent, and treasures in the sight of others. This occurs most frequently where our self-trust is highest: in tasks where we are skilled or in relationships where we are most familiar. The outcome is a never-ending cycle of trusting in our giftedness to prove our security resulting in further insecurity. Jesus commanded us to stop the cycle of insecurity, “Do not worry” (Matt. 6:31). Worrying is for the proud who don’t trust God because the humble trust that God knows their needs (Matt. 6:32).
Humility seeks first God’s kingdom and his righteousness. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” (Matt. 6:33a). God’s kingdom is His divine reign, rule, and order in the hearts and lives of people on this earth now and in the future. It is the effective reach of His will. God’s righteousness is what is right in His sight. The two intersect to form wisdom: God’s righteousness combined with street smarts (the shrewd reach of God’s will into our tasks and relationships).
Wisdom is not a principle; it is a person. Christ the wisdom of God came as the Righteous One (1 John 2:1) to inaugurate the renewal of God’s kingdom (Mk. 1:15). When we humble our hearts to Him, we experience the security of God’s kingdom and righteousness in our lives. Solomon, the pinnacle of wisdom, said that the fear of the Lord (humility) was the ticket to the doorway of security (Prov. 14:26). This humility seeks to prioritize God’s will in our tasks and our relationships.
The result is the truth of God in Christ. “And all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matt. 6:33b-34). These things represent our needs. God satisfies our desire for security with the truth of God in Christ (Jn. 14:6). He is the resource of wisdom that will never run dry.
Solomon said, “Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: that wisdom preserves the life of its possessor” (Eccl. 7:12). That extra hour of life that we were seeking by worrying is infinitely found in wisdom. The psalmist added that the person who humbly trusts God will have no fear and his heart will be secure (Ps. 112:7-8).
This week, do two things: (1) don’t worry and (2) seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness. First, make an appointment with yourself to worry for 20 minutes. Write down everything that worries you. After you experience the silliness of this exercise, commit to not worrying again about financial security by trusting in money.
Second, pray. Humbly trust God with all of your concerns by seeking first His will for your life. Make your muscles move with your prayers by working wisely. Seek God’s wisdom, allowing money to be a byproduct of relationships. Seek intimacy with your customers, vendors, employees, employers, family, or friends as you seek intimacy with God. Read a chapter in Proverbs each day corresponding to the date of the month, applying this wisdom to your tasks and relationships, including your finances. You will become secure as you trust in your godliness rather than your giftedness. It won’t be you doing so; it will be Christ in you.
Secure in Christ’s truth,
Mitch
