We'll be reading from two texts this morning. One is Romans 9.6 and the other is Matthew 7.13 and 14. An important theme in this section of Scripture is introduced in verse 6 where we read that for not all Israel is Israel. Not they, for they are not all Israel which are of Israel. It's the theme of subsets. Saying it simply, it is only a part, indeed a small, small part of the whole group gets right with God. That's our theme for today. Only a small, small, small part of the whole group gets right with God. Paul supports this assertion several ways. In verses seven and nine, he said, look at Abraham. Abraham had eight sons, but God's line of blessing fell on one. There are children of the flesh, Paul says, and then there are the children of God. Secondly, Paul says, look at Isaac, verses 10 through 13. Isaac had two sons, but God's blessings fell only on one. Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. Paul says thirdly, look at Isaiah. It's in verse 27. There Paul quotes Isaiah 10.22, it says, Isaiah also crieth concerning Israel, though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved. So here's Isaiah crying out this truth. Sands of the sea, but just one little slice shall be saved. What's this carte blanche idea? What's this sweeping idea of everybody's going in? Not all Israel is Israel. Only a small, small, small part of the whole group gets right with God. You see it through Abraham. You see it through Isaac. You see it through Isaiah. And you see it in Sodom and Gomorrah. That's verse 29. Who knows how many people lived there? Probably at least in the thousands of people. But only four people were saved in Sodom. And zero people were saved from Gomorrah. Small, small, small remnant. So the theme is set. There are other themes in Romans 9, sovereignty of God, the introduction of the Gentiles, but we will keep things simple today and focus on this one theme, the theme of the many and the few. The message is, only a small part of the whole group gets right with God. The title of today's message is, Narrow is the Way. Romans chapter 9, verse 6, Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect, for they are not all Israel which are of Israel. And then we go to the New Testament Gospel, Matthew, chapter seven, the familiar words of Christ, verses 13 and 14. Jesus says, enter ye in at the straight gate, for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because straight is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Paul is not giving some extraneous, odd, esoteric truth when he says, look, most people aren't getting saved. Most people don't get right with God. He supports it through Abraham, Isaac, Isaiah, Sodom and Gomorrah. And certainly it's confirmed in the Sermon on the Mount with the Lord Jesus Christ. Important enough theme, I think we can devote a message to it. Again the title is, Narrow is the Way. Let's have a word of prayer. Our Father, place upon us true comprehension of Thy Spirit concerning this very important truth. May it redound to the glory of God. May we cry out for mercy as needed. May we express our gratitude to a God who does all things right. Help us to see whether we are the few or of the many. In Christ's name, amen. been thinking, how could I illustrate a few among the many, and this is what came to mind. I've lived over 20,000 days, and only once in all those days have I ever seen a moose in South Dakota. Driving to church one morning, I tell you, there was a moose. That's a rare thing. 1 in 20,000 or so days. What is the rarity of seeing a Christian in the sea of humanity? When Elijah thought he was the only one left in Israel, The Lord responded, I have my 7,000 who have not bowed the knee to Baal. I don't know how many people were in Israel at that time, but I would extrapolate it to be something like one out of a thousand perhaps had not bowed the knee to Baal. It is not unusual to have a great many away from God and a very few with God. Do not forget what Jesus says at the end of the world when he returns. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man cometh, shall he what? Find faith on the earth. Yet there's this whole trend in America and we think Jesus could return any time. It really causes us to examine carefully. Have we entered the straight gate? Are we one of the few? So may the Lord guide as we look at the four features of our text in Matthew 7, 13 and 14. The first feature is the two gates. The gates were very common, prominent in Jewish culture. There are gates of wood, gates of iron, gates of copper, gates overlaid in gold, gates of heaven or pearly. The Bible mentions gates of cities, houses, temples, palaces, prisons, camps. The grave is called the gate of death. Satan's domain is called the gate of hell. We read of the gates of heaven. And we read of Christ being the gate. and we read here that there is a gate to destruction and there is a gate to life and everyone here has entered at least one of those two gate of destruction gate of life gate in the scriptures represents a place of entry place of entry or a means of access in Jewish literature You might read that a youth was at the gate of adulthood. A couple might be at the gates of marriage. Travelers might be at the gates of an adventure. The place of entry, here we go. The means of access. Jesus says that everyone has passed this means of access, this port of entry. either to destruction or life. Where are we? Let's first look at the wide gate. Straight is the gate that narrows the way that leads to life. Wide is the gate. Broad is the way that leads to destruction. Let's look at the wide gate. This gate is as spacious as could be. It's as wide, I'd say, as the Arch of St. Louis. Some of you have seen that. That's called the Gateway to the West. 630 feet wide, 630 feet tall, it's equidistant. You could drive 30 Mack trucks through that gate, 60. No trouble entering the wide gate. There are no alarms, there are no guards at the gate, there is no crossbar, no rumble strips, no speed bumps, there's no passport, there's no ticket needed, there's no inspection. All you have to do is be a child of Adam and you're already passed through and on your way. The wide gate. Then there is the straight gate. Now that is a different story. Very different. The word there for straight is not S-T-R-A-I-G-H-T, which means linear, the shortest distance between two points. It's S-T-R-A-I-T, straight. That word means pent up. It means narrow. It means difficult to enter. We still use that word in our language. We talk about, I'm in tough straits. I'm pent up, bound tight, in a difficult situation. Strait gates are illustrated in the Old Testament with Balaam and with Jonathan. Balaam, remember, he was going through that tight area and he cursed his donkey because he got rubbed up against one side. Jonathan had to go through that tight space between this rock and that rock to go up and attack the Philistines. I'd like us to note first of all concerning the straight gate that it is hard to find. Few there are who find it. In Jewish culture, that would be understood. If you were in Afghanistan now, you could understand it. You see those rocky crags and you look off in the distance and say, is that one rock or is it two? They're so close together and kind of bound, you can't really tell if it's single or if there's an entryway there. It's hard to find it. It's like finding enemy soldiers who are hidden in the crags of the rock in Afghanistan. If you do spot this distance between two rocks so close, so tight, it's a narrow channel, you find in close examination it's a tough squeeze to enter. You have to rub in tightly and suck it in and take off anything that would widen your girth because it's difficult to enter the straight gate. Indeed, we read in Luke 13.24, once you find this gate, if you do, if you even find it, you must strive to enter it. The verb there is agonizo. We get the English word agonize from that verb. Agonize to get in. Like you strive for the mastery, you sweat, you bleed trying to make it through. And what is so agonizing about entering the straight gate? It's a tight squeeze. such that you cannot fit through with your baggage. Perhaps you've tried to reach into a jar but you have a watch on, you have to take the watch off in order to reach into the jar. That's the idea here. That's the picture. Turn to Matthew chapter 19 and verse 24 where Jesus says it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. I know some of you know the cultural explanation there. There was a small entry through the wall into a community. It's called the Eye of the Needle. In order for a camel to enter, he would have to be down on all of his knees, and they'd have to take all the burden off the camel so that he can squeeze through that little opening. And that's the picture there. Rich man's got to throw off all of his possessions he's gotta get down on his knees and crawl through straight gate is narrow it's difficult to find as difficult to enter you agonize to make it through even so Jesus said if any man would come after him let him deny himself so self-confidence reputation righteousness they all have to be rubbed off The gate is too narrow for any of our dignities and honors, so also unprofitable, trifling, restless, disappointing, arrogant, lawless desires that we have. They all have to go. Everything has to be scraped off in order to get through. Our plans, our ambitions, our preconceptions, our requirements, all possessions, utterly everything come off where we don't pass through, and listen, few pass through. Salvation is shown here to be a rarity. To be saved is shown to be the exceptional thing. Which is the point in Romans chapter 9. Let's go back to our original text. What's with the Jews? Why aren't they getting saved? Paul answers in part in Romans 9 and verse 30, What shall we say then, that the Gentiles, which follow not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith? But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, have not attained to the law of righteousness. because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. As it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense. Whosoever believeth on him should not be ashamed. Here the Jews got these nine privileges which are listed at the beginning of that chapter. These privileges, we are the special people of God, we've been given the law, we've been given the covenants, we've been given the patriarchs, we've been given the land, we've been given the promises, all this stuff, and had it all scraped off of them, and come just like a Gentile would, they couldn't do it. They saw themselves as privileged. But what they needed to do was to see themselves as Naaman, Naaman the general of the Syrian force that got leprosy. He could not hold on to his office, his dignity, his pride. He had to come down off of his high horse, down to the level of any other leper, if he was to be healed. Very much a picture of what happens with us. You dump all or you stay out. The treasures to be abandoned are hopes, accomplishments, identity, possessions. Lay them down. found the gate, but it's such a straight gate, you've got to lay off everything if you're going to be able to enter through it. But I must also tell you the glory of this gate, and that is that it is equal to all. Few find it. Of those who find it, few enter through it because you have to sacrifice everything. If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me, Jesus says. But there's a glory to this gate. It's equality. It requires nothing which any man is unable to bring. It's accessible to every person. There's no secret combination lock. Doesn't take muscle or height or beauty to swing the door open. There's no bad guy who can stop your entry. All you need to do is lay off everything and understand you're a sinner and Christ is your Savior. Straight gate. Jesus said there are two gates. One is wide and one is straight. Then secondly, he says there are two ways. First, there is the broad way. This road has room for everyone. It's not an alley. It's more like the salt flats of Utah. Maybe it's more like that Kansas prairie where there's that land rush. You've seen that scene where that long spread of prairie and here all these people lined up with their horses or wagons are ready for the go. They're going to rush out and claim their land. The broad way. See the marching masses of humanity. Sort of like a global trail of tears going down the broad way. There you will find space for the confusing anarchy of ideas. Some there would give money to be saved. Others would tear their bodies to be saved. Others would call upon the gods of their imaginations. Another would see nothing to be needful. And all is labor lost. There's room for all and nothing and everything. Tell you something about the broad way, it is deceitful. It is disappointing. It is well-traveled. There goes virtually everybody. It went through the White Gate. Now they're on the Broadway. Look, there's grandma. There are some co-workers. There's a congressman. There isn't she in our church. There are the heathen. There are the multitudes of cults, Catholics, Protestants. There are the many. Is that I? Broad way. And then there is the narrow way. The theme with the narrow way is consistency. The idea is if you have gotten on to the road of life, there is only one way that you did it. And that was by having everything scraped off of you. You came in humbly. You denied yourself. If that's the way you got on the road, you got to continue on the road that way. The idea certainly isn't to pick up what you left off once you got past the gate. The rest of life is to be spent according to the principles pledged at the gate. Self-denial, service to others, everything driven by love. What I'm saying is that the narrow gate is not like some sort of an airport check station where you put all your baggage on a conveyor belt and you go through and you pick up all your stuff and carry on. Pride, plans, pleasant life, preferences, prerequisites, all placed in the conveyor belt, not to be picked up on the other side. Be more like the Jews going to concentration camps, pictures we see of that pile of shoes and luggage and other possessions left there for good. Those are the terms, Jesus says, to enter in. And an indication of the authenticity of our entering. The sincerity of our faith is that we continue in that vein once past the gate. The theme is consistency. The Bible says in Colossians 2.6, As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him. Galatians 3.3, Are you so foolish, having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect in the flesh? Continuance. Jesus said, if you continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? You see, straight is the gate and narrow is the way. It continues narrow. That stuff you left behind, you leave behind. I'm not saying if you hike it back up, well then you were saved, now you're lost. But an indication of true salvation is you walk the narrow way. Contrition must be deep. Faith must be unfeigned. Obedience must be unreserved. Souls must be dedicated entirely or we are deceived. We go independent upon and devoted to Christ or we don't go in. And if we think we went in, how we then live will show if we did. Two gates. There are two ways. Thirdly, there are two travelers. There are the travelers on the broadway, and there are the travelers on the narrow way. Let's look at the broadway first. Travelers on the broadway may see their journey at first to be temporarily pleasant. This broadway, there are no road markers. There are no signs, hell this way, wasted life this direction, trouble ahead. There are no signs indicating where the slightly descending road leads. A few checks, lots of pleasures for the season. But life is not like in the movies. And it could be at hell's gates the sentinel will say to the shocked souls entering, were there not foretastes of destruction? Did you get no glimpse of what is ahead? No sense? Not in your health or your marriage or your conscience or your sanity? Broadway may seem temporarily pleasant. A second observation concerning the Broadway, those who travel on it. The travelers may find earthly pleasures have their way of losing their charm and strangely at the same time increasing their grip. You know what that's like? Earthly pleasures lose their charm and strangely at the same time increase their grip. Titillation diminishes as tyranny grows. You may think you have bought joy at shops along the broad way, but you may find instead that you have sold yourself to a master. That's an address to the travelers on the broad way. Now, as for the travelers on the narrow way, three quick comments. First, even if there were no end of either destruction or life, it would still be right and some would still choose to take the narrow way. The noble and best would still take the lowly position which Christ requires. Choose the heroism of self-abandoning faith without regard to personal benefit in the end. Choose it because it's right, because Christ calls to it. He says, enter, He's speaking to you and me, enter ye at the straight gate. Have you entered? What's in it for me? No, no. Lay all that aside. I, Christ, call for you to enter. Even if there were no end, of either destruction or life, it would still be right and still be noble and some would still choose to take the narrow way. Will you take the narrow way? Secondly, the narrow way is good because of the concentration of power that occurs. Concentration of power Vagrant rays of light must be collected and focused before they can cut steel. Bring all your aims and purposes to a point that will lead to the selection of the best. The way is narrow, Jesus said. Do it as in God and for God and by God and with God. The narrow way. And then thirdly, narrowness is also good for protection. God's way is narrow because it's intolerant of evil. We're living in a culture where things are so broad and so amorphous and unshaped and undeclared. You can be anything and everything and go down the broad way. Go down the narrow way and it's for protection. God's way is narrow because it's intolerant of evil. That leads us to our last point. Paul is arguing in Romans chapter 9, salvation is available to everybody. Why is it occurring with Israel as one might expect? There is a series of reasons, he said, but understand this truth, not all Israel is Israel. Not all humanity is saved. In fact, you go through history with Abraham, Isaac, look at Elijah, look at Solomon Gamora, few, few, few. So Jesus said, look, most people can't even find the straight gate. Few, he said, few there are who find it. Enter ye in the straight gate, only one way to enter in, take off everything that's in encumbrance, and then go on the narrow way. Few choose that. There are two gates, there are two ways, there are two travelers, and now there are two ends. Let's look at the end of the broad way. People can reap damnation so easily. You have no more to do than to lie like a withered leaf on a stream. People can reap damnation so easily. Will you go to hell with a crowd because they will not go to heaven with you? The Bible says, Exodus 23.2, thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil. Are you content to perish because you will have so many companions in misery? No man would choose to go to the gallows because it's a smooth, pleasant way to it. People imagine that though the bulk of mankind live in total neglect of God, they will find mercy at the last. But if there be any truth in the scriptures, there are comparatively few who will go to heaven. Then there is the end of the narrow way. May I say that the apparent solitude of the narrow road is only apparent? We come kind of early in the morning, and sometimes we're about the only car on the whole road in the interstate. Sometimes we walk the narrow road, the narrow way. There may not seem to be many with us. But I tell you there has been somebody there with you, before you, alongside of you, And the life you now know in Him will find its fullest at the end of the road. So I'm just going to ask a very simple question. On what road am I? On what road are you? Have you found, have you entered straight gate? Are you on the narrow way? Are you heading to the end of fellowship with God forever? There's only one means, right friends? Only one means. We must see that we have sinned against the Holy God. We must see that our sins have fallen upon a sinless substitute, and all of our sins were judged in Him. He died for our sins, the Lord Jesus did. But God raised Him up again, showing that that death was satisfactory for all the justice of God. And all who look to Him, confessing their sins upon Him, seeing their sins by faith judged in Him, by His stripes they are healed. It's only way on and through the straight gate. Have you all done that? If not, would you do so now? Let's pray. Oh Lord, we would take it to heart that many are called, but few are chosen. Someday we will see just how true that is, perhaps in our own family, perhaps in our own flock, perhaps in our own lives. Oh, not to destabilize anybody who is saved, but to ascertain of a truth and to snatch, as it were, somebody out of the fire. Oh Lord, if Thy Holy Spirit would deeply and clearly impress on each of us what is the status of our soul. Who here is redeemed? Who here is on the narrow way? Who is living consistently with that commitment, laid aside all ambitions, all clinging to possessions and demands on God? We pray that Thy Holy Spirit would reveal to us, Lord, where are we in our relationship? Is there somebody here today who would come to Christ? Is there somebody here today who has not, but now sees the straight gate and is agonizing to enter in? And only by the guidance of Thy Holy Spirit can it happen. May it happen today, Lord. May there be no resisting of the appeal of the Holy Spirit of God, but rather a submitting to it and a happy submission. to the way of God, as with Naaman, the healing of the soul. So Father, as we're about to close our prayer, and then we will sing, if there is somebody here who would come to Christ and believe on Him today, you leave him or her thus to testify. For the glory of God in Christ. Amen.