Strait and Straight Way

-Introduction

-Last week, I presented a lesson “God Won’t Get His Way.”

            -In that lesson I compared/contrasted 1 Timothy 2:3-4 and Matt. 7:13-14.

            -God wants all of us to be saved.  However, the majority is and will be lost. 

             Therefore God won’t get His way.

-In last week’s lesson, we talked about several aspects of the topic.  My conclusion:  Even

 though God won’t get His way when it comes to the majority, we each need to live our

 lives in humble submission to His word so that when it comes to each of us, God gets His

 way.

-Well, our brief consideration of Matt. 7:13-14 and one of the verses considered in the

 young-adults class (Phil. 2:15) go hand and hand.  And, in those is another lesson –

 today’s lesson – “The Strait and Straight Path.”

-“Strait” Path

-Matt. 7:13 – “strait” (KJV), “narrow” (ESV, NASB, NIV)

            -Again, this is the path for the few – not the broad path of the many.

-Luke 13:24 – “Strive” (KJV, ESV, NASB), “Make every effort” (NIV)

            -(Vines) – to contend; (Strongs) – “from ‘to struggle,’ literally (to compete for a prize);

      fig. (to contend with an adversary), or genitive case (to endeavor to accomplish

            something) – KJV:  fight, labor fervently, strive

            -Interestingly, our English word, “agonize,” comes from this Greek word (agonizomai).

                        -Have you ever truly agonized over something?  That “something” was very

                         important, was it not?  It was “something” with which you were very interested in

                         the results, right?  Wasn’t it something for which you had great concern?

                        -Such must be the case regarding our spiritual wellbeing.  It is not to be taken lightly.

                         It is not to be passive in our lives but something in which we are actively engaged.

                         It is not to be a side issue in life.  Instead, it is to be the issue.

-We need to understand that we can’t blend into the world and end up on the “strait” path.

            -The world, as a whole, is on the broad path.  If you become more like the world, which

             path will you be on?

            -Ex. 23:2

-Consider the example of Saul:  1 Sam 15:24.  Saul feared the people.  As a result, he found

 himself of the wrong path. 

            -Too many people end up on the broad path because they’re too afraid of what others are

             going to think about them.

            -We need to be concerned with what God thinks about us.

-So, we need to be different from the world.

            -Rom. 12:1-2, 2 Cor. 6:16-18

            -Prov. 1:10, 15

-“Strive to enter in at the strait gate”

-The “Straight” Path

-Phil. 2:15 – Paul described the world as “crooked and perverse” (KJV), “crooked and

 twisted” (ESV), “crooked and depraved” (NIV).

            -The Greek word for “crooked” is “skolios” from which we get “scoliosis.”

            -similarity of crooked vs straight and darkness vs light (1 John 1:5)

-We are in a crooked and perverse environment.  Yet, we are to follow the “straight” path.

-Isn’t that a description that could have aptly applied to various societies throughout time?

            -Couldn’t Abraham have said that about Sodom and Gomorrah?

            -Couldn’t Noah have used the description prior to the flood?

            -Egyptian society, Assyrian society, Babylonian society, Israeli society, Greek society,

             Roman society…American society

-Prov. 2:12-15, Isa 59:8

            -Isaiah – Notice a couple of passages in which Isaiah was looking forward to the time

                                 of Christ and the blessings that would be made available by/through Him.

            -Isa. 40:4; 42:16

-Heb 12:13

            -straight – “…level or direct” (Strongs); “upright…figuratively, said of paths of

                                                 righteousness” (Vines)

            -(Interestingly, the Greek word for “straight” is orthos – one of the root words involved

              with our English term, “orthopedics.”)

-So, not only do we need to seek the strait path but also the straight way.

-Summary and Invitation

-Ps 119:1-8

-Prov 4:26-27 – “Ponder” (ESV, KJV), “Make level” (NIV)

-We each need to ponder the path of our feet.  Are you on the right path? – the strait and

 straight one?  If not, won’t you change that?

-If you haven’t obeyed the Gospel, believe (John 3:16, 8:24), confess (Matt. 10:32, Rom. 10:9-10), repent (Luke 13:3,5; Acts 17:30), be baptized into Christ for the forgiveness

 of sins (Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38), walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:3-4; Eph. 4:22-24).

-If you’ve obeyed the Gospel but have wandered from the strait and straight path, then

 return to it by confessing your shortcomings, repenting of them and praying for God’s

 forgiveness (1 John 1:7-9, Acts 8:22-24).