Our primary text is taken from Matthew, 7: 13–14
“13 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.”
Matthew 7:13-14
Here Jesus describes two gates, two roads, two groups of travelers, and two destinations.
One road is broad. There’s plenty of room for whatever a person wants to bring along. It accommodates popular opinion, personal preference, and unrepented sin. Many people travel that road.
The other road, however, is narrow. We do not set its boundaries. We don’t decide where it leads or what God requires of those who walk it. We enter on His terms and follow His Son.
Notice that Jesus does not tell us to choose the road with the most travelers. He does not tell us to choose the road that feels easiest. He tells us to choose the road that leads to life.
The important question is not, “How easy is this road?” The important question is, “Where does this road end?”
Throughout this lesson, we will see that Jehovah does not offer shortcuts around obedience, character, or endurance. Every attempt to bypass what God requires leaves us spiritually weaker.
Now before we go further, we need to make something clear: we cannot earn heaven. Salvation is the gift of God’s grace, made possible through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:8–10 teaches both that we are saved by grace through faith and that we are created in Christ Jesus for good works.
Following God’s way does not mean purchasing salvation with our performance. It means trusting the Savior enough to do what He says.
Our culture, however, trains us to look for shortcuts.
We have fast food, instant downloads, express checkout, and overnight delivery. Books and websites offer “life hacks.” Advertisements promise remarkable transformations with very little effort.
Some shortcuts are useful. There is nothing wrong with finding a quicker route to the grocery store.
But we must be careful about carrying that mindset into Christianity.
We can begin wanting blessings without obedience, victory without struggle, maturity without discipline, and crowns without crosses.
We want the comfort of God’s promises while avoiding the demands of following His Son.
But there are no shortcuts to heaven.
This morning, let us consider five ways we may be tempted to leave the narrow road.
1. Shortcuts appeal to our flesh, not our faith
Imagine a high school football player with remarkable natural ability. He comes from a family with very little money, and a college scholarship could open doors he never expected.
Early in the season, he works hard. He conditions, studies the plays, and listens to his coaches. His performance begins attracting attention.
But then he starts thinking, “I’m already good at this. I don’t need all this preparation.”
He eases up during practice. He neglects his conditioning. He stops taking instruction seriously.
When an important opportunity comes, he is less prepared than he should have been.
Now, preparation cannot prevent every injury or guarantee a scholarship. Hardworking athletes suffer disappointments too. But this young man has made a serious mistake: he has treated his ability as a substitute for preparation.
He wants the results of discipline without continuing the discipline.
We can make the same mistake spiritually.
We may think, “I know the Bible. I’ve been a Christian for years. I’ve heard hundreds of sermons.”
But yesterday’s faithfulness does not remove today’s need to follow Christ.
In Matthew 4:1–11, Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness. Consider the direction of those temptations.
Jesus was hungry, and Satan urged Him to turn stones into bread. Hunger was a legitimate need. The temptation was to satisfy that need at the tempter’s direction rather than remain obedient to the Father.
Jesus answered from Scripture: man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from God.
Then Satan urged Jesus to throw Himself from the temple. He even quoted Scripture while encouraging Jesus to put God to the test.
There is a warning there for us: a suggestion does not become godly merely because someone attaches a Bible verse to it.
Finally, Satan offered Jesus the kingdoms of the world if He would fall down and worship him.
Here was an offer of rule and glory through allegiance to Satan. Jesus rejected it completely. Worship belonged to God alone.
In each temptation, Satan urged Jesus away from obedience to His Father.
His approach still appeals to us.
“You deserve this,” “Everybody does it,” “Just this once,” “Ahhh, You can straighten it out later.”
Sometimes temptation offers immediate pleasure. Sometimes it offers relief from discomfort. Sometimes it offers something good through a sinful means.
For instance, a person wants financial security, so he becomes dishonest. Or a person wants companionship, so she enters a relationship that requires compromising her faith. Possibly a person wants peace in the family, so he decides never to speak about something God calls sin.
The desire may be understandable. The proposed solution can still be wrong.
James 1:14–15 describes how desire can draw us into sin, and how sin, when fully grown, brings death.
Temptation usually directs our attention to what we can gain immediately. Faith asks what our choice means before God.
Esau illustrates that danger in Genesis 25. Remember, how he came in hungry and sold his birthright for a meal. He allowed an immediate appetite to determine the value of a lasting inheritance.
Now before we shake our heads at Esau, we should ask ourselves: What have I been willing to trade for a few minutes of satisfaction?
My integrity? Influence? Peace in my home? A clear conscience?
No appetite is worth your inheritance in Christ.
When temptation presents an easier way, do not ask only, “Will this satisfy me?” Ask, “Will this keep me faithful to God?”
2. There is no shortcut around obedience
Return with me to Matthew 7. Later in the same chapter, Jesus says in verse 21:
“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.”
Matthew 7:21
Those are sobering words aren’t they.
Jesus describes people who use the right title. They call Him “Lord.” In the following verses, they even point to religious activities they believe should establish their standing with Him.
Yet Jesus makes it clear that religious claims cannot replace doing the Father’s will. We need to hear that.
A person can speak warmly about Jesus and still refuse His authority. A person can admire His teachings without submitting to them. We may be tempted to offer God a substitute for obedience.
“Lord, I know what You said, but look at how sincere I am.”
“Lord, I know what You said, but look at how much money I give” or “Lord, I know what You said, but my family has always done it differently.”
Sincerity, generosity, and family loyalty do not give us permission to set aside God’s instructions.
In 1 Samuel 15, King Saul received a command concerning Amalek. But Saul and the people spared King Agag and kept the best of the livestock.
When Samuel confronted him, Saul offered a religious explanation: the animals had been kept for sacrifice.
Samuel answered in verse 22 that obedience is better than sacrifice. You see, Saul wanted an act of worship to excuse an act of disobedience. We can fall into that same pattern. We cannot mistreat someone during the week and suppose that singing enthusiastically on Sunday settles the matter.
We can’t knowingly remain dishonest and expect our contribution to make dishonesty acceptable, or we can’t refuse to forgive while assuming that attendance removes our responsibility to obey Christ.
Those acts of worship matter. But they belong within a life surrendered to God.
Jesus asks in Luke 6:46 why people call Him Lord while failing to do what He says. That question reaches into our homes, our conversations, our business dealings, and our private choices.
If Jesus is Lord, His instructions carry authority even when obedience is inconvenient. And the proper response, when we discover disobedience, is not despair, but repentance.
God has made provision for forgiveness. The blood of Christ is sufficient. But repentance involves turning toward God, not merely explaining why we have continued going our own way.
This also applies to becoming a Christian.
We must let Scripture tell us how to respond to the gospel. The New Testament calls people to believe in Christ, repent of sin, confess Christ, and be baptized into Him. Acts 2:38 connects repentance and baptism with the forgiveness of sins. Romans 6:3–4 describes baptism into Christ’s death and being raised to walk in newness of life.
These are responses of faith to the grace God offers.
We do not improve God’s way by removing what He commanded.
The narrow road begins with surrender: “Lord, teach me what You require, and help me to do it.”
3. There is no shortcut to spiritual maturity
Becoming a Christian is the beginning of a new life. That life must grow. We understand this in other areas. Nobody plants a seed on Monday and reasonably expects a fully grown tree on Tuesday.
A child does not become mature simply by having a birthday. Maturity develops through learning, correction, responsibility, and practice.
Spiritual growth also requires attention.
In Hebrews 5:12–14, the writer addresses people who should have progressed enough to teach others but still need instruction in the elementary truths of God’s word. He explains that mature people have their powers of discernment trained through constant practice.
Notice that connection: discernment develops through use.
We grow as we learn God’s word and put it into practice.
Second Peter 1:5–8 calls Christians to make every effort to supplement faith with virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. That passage describes deliberate growth.
We cannot neglect our faith all week and expect one hour on Sunday to supply every spiritual need.
We cannot fill our minds with impurity and expect pure thoughts to come naturally. And we can’t avoid serving others and then wonder why our love remains shallow.
What we practice helps shape what we become.
First Timothy 4:7–8 calls us to train ourselves for godliness. Paul recognizes the value of bodily training, while explaining that godliness has value for both this life and the life to come.
That training involves ordinary, repeated choices. Open your Bible when you would rather keep scrolling or pray when you are tempted merely to worry.
Tell the truth when a lie would save embarrassment. Listen patiently when you would rather interrupt. We can serve someone when no one will notice.
Those choices may seem small, but they are part of learning to live under Christ’s rule.
We sometimes wait for a great spiritual experience to transform us while neglecting the daily opportunities God has already given us.
Think about learning to play an instrument. I’ve got a guitar, a bass guitar and a harmonica, but buying the instrument did not produce skill. Talking about music does not replace practice. Even listening to a gifted musician doesn’t automatically make us one. I should know because I can’t play any of the instruments I have.
Likewise, listening to a sermon on patience will not complete our growth in patience. We must practice it when someone tries us.
A lesson on forgiveness must eventually reach the person we find difficult to forgive and a lesson on generosity must eventually influence what we do with our resources.
James 1:22 calls us to be doers of the word, rather than hearers who deceive themselves. Hearing is necessary. But hearing is meant to lead somewhere.
Some of us may have been Christians for decades. That is a blessing. But it is still appropriate to ask: Am I more loving? More self-controlled? More willing to serve? More ready to receive correction?
The question is not simply, “How long have I been on this road?” The question is, “Am I continuing to grow as I walk it?”
4. There is no shortcut around taking up our cross
In Luke 9:23, Jesus says:
“23 If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
Luke 9:23
Notice three expressions there: deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Jesus describes a continuing surrender of our lives to Him.
When we speak of a cross, we sometimes mean any unpleasant circumstance such as: bad weather, an irritating neighbor, or a difficult afternoon.
Those things may require patience. But in Jesus’ setting, a cross was an instrument of execution. His words describe a costly commitment. Following Him means that self no longer has the final say.
My desires must answer to His will, must answer to His teaching and my pride must yield to His authority. That surrender reaches places we would sometimes prefer to keep private.
It may require an apology that wounds our pride or it may require ending a sinful relationship. It could be that it requires losing money because honesty prevents us from making a dishonest deal.
We naturally want faithfulness to be comfortable and well received. Sometimes it is. Sometimes obedience brings conflict or loss. Jesus never concealed that possibility.
Hebrews 12:1–3 tells us to lay aside the weights and sin that hinder us, run with endurance, and keep our attention on Jesus, who endured the cross.
We need to remember who is calling us to follow Him.
Our Savior knows suffering. He knows rejection. He knows what obedience can cost. Yet, He willingly gave Himself for us.
There was no substitute for His sacrifice that could leave sin properly dealt with and humanity reconciled to God. We depend completely on what He accomplished through His death and His resurrection.
Our cross, the cross we bear, does not repeat His atoning work. Our sacrifice does not purchase forgiveness. But, His sacrifice calls for a response from us.
How can we receive such love and then insist that following Him must never inconvenience us?
James 1:2–4 teaches that trials can produce steadfastness, and that steadfastness has a maturing work to accomplish.
That does not mean suffering is pleasant. It does not mean every hardship results from something we have done wrong. Faithful people suffer too.
It means that hardship need not be wasted. As we trust and obey God through it, endurance can grow.
Sometimes our prayer is, “Lord, take this difficulty away.” We may rightly bring that request to Him. But we should also pray, “Lord, help me remain faithful while I am facing it.”
“Help me speak kindly while I hurt, remain honest while I struggle, keep serving when I am tired. And Lord, please Help me trust You when I do not understand.”
The narrow road may be difficult, but we do not walk it without a Savior who understands.
5. There is no shortcut around faithful endurance
A person can start a race enthusiastically and still fail to finish. The Christian life requires more than a promising beginning.
Hebrews 12 tells us to run with endurance. Galatians 6:9 urges us not to grow weary in doing good, because the harvest comes in due season if we do not give up.
Sometimes we become weary because we expect results sooner than they come and the resulting disappointment can become occasions for temptation.
We may begin wondering whether faithfulness is worth the effort.
At such times, remember that God’s promises are larger than our immediate comfort. The destination Jesus promises is life with Him.
A difficult stretch of road doesn’t mean we have chosen the wrong destination.
In John 6, after many disciples turned back, Jesus asked the twelve whether they also wanted to leave.
Peter answered that the Lord had the words of eternal life.
Peter didn’t understand everything. He would still make serious mistakes. But he recognized where life was found.
We need that conviction when we are tired.
Where else will we find a Savior who died for our sins? Or find victory over death? Where else will we find the words of eternal life?
Endurance does not mean we never need help. God has placed us in a body of believers.
Hebrews 10:24–25 teaches us to stir one another up to love and good works, continue assembling, and encourage one another.
Sometimes the person beside you is carrying a burden you can’t see. Your greeting may matter. Your visit may matter. Your willingness to listen may help someone keep going.
And then, when you are the weary one, allow your brethren to help you.
Faithfulness also does not mean that a Christian never stumbles.
First John 1:7–9 speaks of walking in the light, cleansing through Christ’s blood, and confessing our sins.
When we fall, we must return to God. We must not turn a failure into a settled refusal to follow Him.
Toward the end of his life, Paul could say in 2 Timothy 4:7–8 that he had fought the good fight, he had finished the race, and he had kept the faith. He looked forward to the crown of righteousness the Lord would award him.
Paul had endured suffering, opposition, and disappointment. Yet he continued trusting Christ.
That is how we want to finish.
Not merely having known the truth once or merely having attended faithfully years ago. Not merely having started well.
We want to finish with our faith still resting in Jesus.
Conclusion
Return one final time to the picture Jesus gives us in Matthew 7.
Two gates. Two roads. Two destinations.
The broad road offers room for whatever we refuse to surrender. Its popularity can make it look reassuring. Its ease can make it look attractive. But Jesus tells us where it ends.
The narrow road requires submission to Christ. It calls for obedience, growth, self-denial, and endurance.
And Jesus tells us where that road ends too: life.
This morning we have considered five truths:
- Shortcuts appeal to our flesh, not our faith.
- There is no shortcut around obedience.
- There is no shortcut to spiritual maturity.
- There is no shortcut around taking up our cross.
- There is no shortcut around faithful endurance.
Where am I looking for an easier way around something God has asked of me?
• Is there a command I keep explaining away?
• A sin I keep protecting?
• Is there a spiritual responsibility I keep postponing?
• Have I begun to coast because I have been a Christian for a long time?
• Have I grown discouraged and started drifting away?
The answer is to turn toward the Savior who loves us.
Jesus says in John 14:6:
“6 I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6
He has done what we could never do for ourselves. He gave His life for our sins and rose from the dead. Through Him, forgiveness and eternal life are offered to us.
Our response is to trust Him and follow Him.
If you have never obeyed the gospel, believe in Jesus Christ, repent of your sins, confess Him, and be baptized into Him for the forgiveness of your sins and then begin the new life that He offers.
If you are a Christian who has wandered, come back. Repent, seek God’s forgiveness, and let your brethren encourage you.
Do not let the difficulty of the road make you forget the greatness of the destination.
And do not trade the life Christ offers for something that satisfies only for a moment.
There are no shortcuts to heaven. But there is a way—and Jesus has called us to follow Him.
And the lesson is yours.
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