Upside Down - Two Roads: The Narrow Gate and the Choice that Changes everything
I graduated from high School in 1991 and began working in construction a couple of days after I graduated. Shortly after I started working, I bought my first car at a “buy here, pay here” dealer. It was a 4-cylinder, 1981 Ford Fairmont. It didn’t last long.
My next car was a two-door ’86 Buick Regal. I bought it from a shade-tree mechanic for $600. That car was fast. It was so fast, I earned four speeding tickets before I finally learned to slow down. The interesting thing about that car is that it was stuck in one gear: Drive. It would not go into “Park,” “Reverse,” or “Neutral.” If I didn’t have my foot on the brake when I turned the ignition, the car would move forward. I used the Parking Brake so often, it wore out…so when I would park the car on an incline, I carried a wedge to put under one of the tires to keep it from rolling.
I always had to think ahead about where I was going to park the car. If I pulled into a driveway, I couldn’t get blocked in. If I parked the car in a parking lot, I had to make sure I couldn’t get blocked in. If I did get blocked in, I had to turn the key on, open the door, sit in the seat, and push the car backwards. If the driveway had an incline, here was my routine:
I’d stop the car, kill the engine, leap out while it was already starting to roll, and shove a wedge behind the tire to keep it from rolling away. If I couldn’t pull forward when it was time to leave, I had to turn on the key, get out of the car, pull the wedge, jump back into the rolling car, wrestle the wheel with no power steering, coast backwards, and then finally turn the key to drive away. Pshew. That stresses me out just talking about it…
I always had to think about my direction in that car. I always had to think about the future direction to make sure I didn’t get stuck.
As Jesus is finishing up his Sermon on the Mount, he invites people to stop and think about the direction they are headed on the Road of Life.
Matthew 7:12-14 (NLT2)
“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. 13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.
Jesus said every person is traveling a road right now. You are either on the road to Heaven, or you are on the road to Hell. You may have never realized it, you may not have thought much about it, but the road of life you are traveling is leading you to a final destination. And, once you arrive at that destination, there is no reverse, U-turns, or ways to get out of it. You will be blocked, and there will be no way to leave.
And it may surprise you who is on the road with you. It may surprise you to learn
THE WIDE-ROAD TO HELL IS FILLED WITH GOOD PEOPLE
The road to hell is filled with good people. Most people think hell is for bad people. Drug dealers, murderers, abusers…or people who listen to Nickelback.
When Jesus says the highway to hell is broad and the gate is wide. He means, it is a crowded road. And yes, it is filled with bad people who have caused harm to others. But it is also filled with many very, very good people.
Many of the people who end up in Hell are polite, kind, and attend church. In fact, many have led other people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus. I know this, because as Jesus went on with his sermon, he described the day of judgement when many people will be surprised by their final destination. He said:
Matthew 7:22-23a (NLT2)
On judgment day, many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you…’
Do you hear the surprise in the voice of those who thought they were going to be in Heaven? “Wait! This doesn’t make sense. I led people to Jesus. I cast out demons and worked miracles in the name of Jesus. I led a good life. I sacrificed. I cared for others…”
Hell will be filled with good people who loved and were devoted to their families.
Generous people who sacrificed and served their communities and their church.
Honest people with a work ethic like our grandparents had…Hell will be filled with pastors, church leaders, Sunday school teachers, and sweet grandmothers.
That is what is shocking about this passage. The road to Hell is not full of just monsters. It will be full of people who have done a lot of great things and made a positive impact in the lives of others. It will be filled with so many people who have done good things.
…
If that makes you want to tug at your collar…
If that makes you uncomfortable…
If you think that does not sound fair…
If the idea that hell is filled with good people unsettles you…
then let me show you what might sound even more unfair.
THE NARROW-ROAD TO HEAVEN IS FILLED WITH BAD PEOPLE
Jesus says the road to heaven is narrow and only a few will ever find it.
And the people who do? They are not the religious elite. They are not the polished church folks who say all the right things and never miss a service. The narrow road is not filled with the spiritual all-stars. It is filled with people most of us would never hand a microphone to. People who would never make the brochure or the Beach Church website.
The narrow road is not filled with the people we expect. The narrow road is filled with…People who wrecked marriages and lost the respect of their kids. People who burned bridges, abandoned responsibilities, and disappeared when things got hard. People who lied to everyone around them…including themselves…for years. The narrow road to heaven is filled with people who are not proud of their “driving” record.
Bad people like Paul. A man who made it his personal mission to hunt Christians down, drag them from their homes, and who tried to erase the name of Jesus from history. Bad people like Peter. The guy who promised Jesus, “I’ll never leave you,” and then, hours later, cussed and swore on his own life that he did not even know Him. Bad people like David, who slept with his friend's wife and had him murdered. Bad people like the woman caught in adultery. Bad people like the thief on the cross.
The road to Heaven is filled with bad people like me. People who were not good. Not strong. And not worthy.
You might say, “Hold on…” What about the Bible passages that teach “bad people” won’t get to heaven? Doesn’t the bible say that liars, cheaters, adulterers, and sexually immoral people will never get to heaven? Let’s take a look at a passage of scripture that many point to when trying to rebuke others:
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NLT2)
Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, 10 or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.
You have probably heard others refer to that passage. The Bible says clearly that people like this will never enter God’s kingdom... Right? Not so fast. The next few words help us see the bigger picture.
1 Corinthians 6:11 (NLT2)
Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
That means these words were addressed to people who had done bad things. People who were liars, cheaters, sexually immoral, abusive, and greedy. They were the kind of people nobody expected to see sitting in church. The ones everyone else gave up on. The ones who thought their past would follow them forever.
Paul describes the type of people who will never make it into the Kingdom of God then says, “Some of you were once like that…” He reminds them they were once broken, addicted, angry, dishonest, and unfaithful. But now they are cleansed, holy, and made right with God. The narrow road to Heaven is filled with bad people who used to be far from God.
When Jesus described the narrow road, he was describing people who had been changed. That’s why the shocking truth that the wide road to hell will be filled with good people, and the narrow road to heaven will be filled with bad people, makes us so uncomfortable. It goes against everything we have been taught to believe about fairness, goodness, and what is right. It shakes the systems we have built to make ourselves feel right with God.
Getting through the narrow gate to Heaven is not about being good or bad. It is about known and unknown. Jesus said the only people who make it through the narrow gate and enter Heaven are those who knew him personally.
After the Good People said, “Lord, we preached in your name. We cast out demons in your name. We prayed in your name…”
Jesus said, “But I NEVER KNEW YOU.”
The wide road is full of people who knew about Jesus but never knew Him. People who had religion but no relationship. People who believed in God but never surrendered to Him.
Jesus talked about the Gate of Heaven, because he IS the Gate of Heaven.
John 10:9a (NLT2)
Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved…
The only people who get into heaven are the people who have surrendered their lives to Jesus and entered through Him.
Which road are you traveling?
I am not asking you…
How good are you?
How much Bible do you know?
How often do you go to church?
How much impact have you made?
I am asking you if you have already entered Heaven through the Narrow Gate.
Hebrews 9:27 (NLT2)
And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment…
We all have a date with death, and what follows after death… is judgment. If we wait until that day to find out where we stand with God, it’ll be too late. The wide road is full of people who thought they were fine. People who hoped their good deeds were enough.
People who assumed God graded on a curve. But He doesn’t.
Ephesians 2:9 (NLT2)
Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
Have you ever surrendered to Jesus?
Romans 10:9 (NLT2)
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Would you like to give your life to Jesus right now and commit your life to him? You can.
I was 18 years old when I committed my life to Jesus and became a follower of Jesus. You can begin your journey today by surrendering your life to Jesus.
Now, the wide road…is easy. You can stay in control. You can keep the illusion of goodness. But it ends in separation from God forever. Eternal life in heaven begins the moment you say:
Jesus, I believe you paid the price for my sin on the cross. I know I cannot earn heaven by being good, but simply by trusting in the forgiveness of sin that you offer me.
I surrender my life to you.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
You can leave the church today on the very same road you walked in on.
Or you can change directions… and walk into life.