Several weeks ago I had, what ended up to be, a heated conversation with a man in my office. The reason he came to speak with me, was to get my involvement in a prayer group for the town. Something I was open to, but there was something that was off. The man put forth that he was a Christian and that something I said one week got him thinking that I knew a lot about Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Alon. This led into a conversation about the uniqueness of the biblical God.
Now what I am about to say isn’t a dig at A.A., but rather the reality that the Bible puts forth compared to the teachings of A.A. Steps 3 and 11 of Alcoholics Anonymous’ 12 Steps, read like this, “Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him…Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out (https://www.aa.org/assets/en_US/smf-121_en.pdf).”
A.A. teaches that in order to overcome alcoholism, one must seek after and believe in some sort of higher power. This god, is a god of our own understanding. In an article by A.A. entitled, “Many Paths of Spirituality,” there are some excerpts from it that I believe are important. One excerpt reads, “As we became more familiar with A.A., we began to realize the deep significance in the phrasing of A.A.’s Twelve Steps, which emphasize ‘a Power greater than ourselves,’ and ‘God, as we understood Him.’” Later on, in a different section, one can read where it states, “Many of us came to rely on a ‘Higher Power,’ whether it was the collective power of A.A., the A.A. group itself, or some other entity, concept or being that helped us to stay sober.” (https://www.aa.org/assets/en_US/p-84_manypathstospirituality.pdf)
Now I haven’t had a lot of interaction with Alcoholics Anonymous as an organization, but I have known several A.A. participants. One was my boss, who, when I would speak on spiritual matters to share the Gospel with him, would tell me that A.A. didn’t care who or what you believed in, as long as you had belief in something. He had struggled with alcohol for years, and A.A. was how he overcame that addiction, so, he wouldn’t hear anything about the Gospel of Jesus.
This teaching is very different than what is put forth in the Bible. In Isaiah 43:10, God states, “‘You are my witnesses…and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.’” This is why the first command of God in Exodus 20:3 is stated as, “You shall have no other gods before (or beside) me.” And this is why Jesus famously states in the Gospel of John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
The God of the Bible is very clear that pursing any other god beside him is not okay. And because of the basis of the conversation, I pressed this gentleman on this particular issue. Is this prayer group going to be praying to the God of the Bible, or is it open to any prayer to any god?
This is where we came into conflict. I shared with him that the Bible is clear, using the verses I shared with you today, that there is only one God, and that I cannot stand beside someone and act like we’re praying to the same thing, because we’re not, that would be disingenuous for me to do. At the end of the conversation, of which I did get heated and had to call him and apologize for my gruffness, I stated that there is only one Almighty God, and there is none beside him. He called me narrow minded, and that I can’t base everything on the Bible.
And that’s really the problem. See, we tend to think that the Bible is a suggestion by God, that we can use as we see fit; picking and choosing from it as we so desire. And it’s that very idea that brings us back into our Matthew series, where we will be picking back up in chapter 7, starting in verse 13.
As we open to Matthew 7:13, let’s refresh our memory of where we are in this summer series. Leading up to what is called the Sermon on the Mount, we noticed that the first four chapters all dealt with identifying Jesus. In fact, even in the the description of where Jesus gave his sermon, we saw his identity on display. It was in Jesus’ introduction where we saw his description of what his disciples’ were to looked like. And that the identity of a disciple was wrapped up in his own identity. That means a true disciple of Jesus, must be conformed and transformed by who Jesus is. This isn’t just a religious system to believe, but a living transformational relationship to be lived in.
It was then that we saw how Jesus makes two additional points of a disciple’s identity. One is that we must rely on God’s righteousness and not our own for our salvation. Jesus makes it clear that all of our good deeds cannot make us right with God, therefore we have no other choice but to rely on God’s righteousness.
From that reliance on God’s righteousness, goodness then flows from his disciples. In other words, we must first receive salvation from God, this is a free gift that we cannot earn, but from that free gift of salvation, God’s right acts come out of his people. These two points give us an understanding of our relationship with God himself. In fact, it’s these two points that lead us into passages such as Mark 12, where we are given the two greatest commands of loving God and loving people.
The second section of Jesus’ sermon, a section that deals with his disciple’s and the world, teach us to trust in God’s control, rather than us trying to control the world. Whether that be through our worry or through our misguided judgments. When we try to control the world, we become reliant on ourselves, which hinders God’s work in our lives.
It’s here that we come to the close of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, with Jesus’ words on what we are to build our lives on. Let’s read through this closing in Matthew, chapter 7, starting in verse 13.
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.”
In his closing, Jesus gives a clear dichotomy for our lives, and he directs our attention to where we need to get our information from. He tells us that there are two paths. The first, is the narrow path that leads to a narrow gate, while the second is the wide path that leads to a wide gate. Jesus tells us that the many people will follow the wide path to the wide gate, whereas his way is the narrow one. Interestingly, in the conversation I had with this gentleman, I was called narrow-minded; something I took as a compliment, because I was studying this very passage at the time. The dichotomy that Jesus presents has to do with the narrowness of his own teaching compared to the wide open teaching of the world. To put this into perspective, in general, the Romans didn’t care what you believed in, as long as you paid some sort of worship to their gods, and eventually to the Emperor. In our own culture today, the idea that all paths lead to God is one that is pushed in all types of media. This belief that all paths are equal, is the exact opposite of Jesus way. Jesus calls us to a narrow way, that follows only his teaching and no other.
It is here that Jesus’ gives us some examples of those who are on the wide path and who are entering through the wide gate. The examples are false Prophets and false Disciples. In speaking about the false prophets, Jesus say that they, “come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” This brings to my mind imagery of a wolf covered in sheep skin. The wolf comes into and befriends the sheep, all the while plotting a way to devour them. Jesus tells us that you can know these wolves, by their actions. Remember when we talked about judging earlier in Jesus’ sermon? When we are judging or distinguishing between two things in a righteous way, then we will be able to receive God’s correction willing, we will be able to give grace to each other generously, and we will be able to see through the deceptions of false prophets. How will we? Because we will see their actions, both their teachings and how they carry themselves. These fruits, as Jesus calls them, will not be in keeping with the Word of God. We can see this in the pastors who seek after wealth, who commit abuses, and do the very things that God rejects.
But’s there’s not just the false prophets, there are false disciples as well. And the way Jesus describes these false disciples is telling. Jesus reveals that at his return, there will be people that will point to what they have done as a sign of their salvation. In fact, look at what Jesus says the false disciples do: they prophesy in Jesus’ name, they drive out demons in Jesus’ name, they do miracles in Jesus’ name. What Jesus is revealing, is that supernatural wonders are not the signs of a true disciple. In fact, in Revelation 13:13, we are told that the second beast, that makes the inhabitants of the world worship the first beast, will be able to perform miraculous signs. In the conversation I was having, it was signs that the man pointed to as evidence for his faith in Christ, claiming to have cast out demons. But Jesus reveals that though they do these things, he “never knew” them. Now I’m not saying this man isn’t a believer; that he is not saved, no, rather what the Word of God is saying, is that miraculous works are not the basis for salvation and we cannot point to the ability to perform them as a way of codifying it. No, instead it's the knowing of Jesus that is the basis for salvation.
And so, how do we “know” Jesus. It’s walking the narrow path. What’s the narrow path? Well, Jesus gives us a mini-parable in the wise and foolish builders. Jesus starts out the parable with, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice…”
This is Old Testament wisdom literature type stuff. Those who walk the narrow path take seriously the words of Jesus and do them. They don’t fix the words when they don’t like them, they don’t choose which words to follow because of social changes, and they don’t reinterpret his words to fit a human understanding. No, they learn and implement them into their lives. They are a wise man building his home on a foundation that is solid rock.
But those who do change the Word of God to fit their interpretation, to fit social changes, or who pick and choose what they will follow, are like the foolish man who builds on ever shifting sand. And when the real storms of the world come their foundation will be gone. In the opening of the Gospel of John, Jesus is called the Word of God (John 1:1). In Revelation 19 listen to how Jesus is described, “11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations…”
John is describing Jesus here. He is the Word, and all of Scripture comes from him. The sword coming out of Jesus’ mouth is God’s word being spoken. In Hebrew 4:12 the writer has a similar description when they write, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
Therefore we must seek out understanding and the application of the whole of God’s Word if we are going to be Jesus’ disciples, if we are going to be the “known” of Jesus.
It’s here that Jesus ends his Sermon on the Mount, and we’re told by Matthew, “28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.”
People were astounded at Jesus. Why? Because he didn’t leave any wiggle room. Jesus just wrapped his disciples’ identity into his own. Jesus just called them to the righteousness that he could only give them. He called them to a life that relied on the grace of God, to give out that grace freely to others, and to let loose their control to God. Then Jesus didn’t just call people to God’s Word, but called them to his narrow path where they were to rely solely on Jesus’ Word. In this Jesus is equating following God, with following him, basically calling himself God overall, and the people were amazed by this, because no one spoke with such authority as Jesus did.
In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, we can see that he doesn’t allow for any god’s beside himself. There are no other paths to God, no other interpretations as to who God is, no other higher powers, or anything else. Jesus gives us no wiggle room here, and if someone claims the opposite of what Jesus is stating clearly, they are a false prophet, or a false disciple.
I know that sounds harsh, and I’m not saying that things like A.A. have not benefited people all over the world, I believe God uses a lot of different things to bring people to himself. But we must be clear that though something can be beneficial in the short term of this world, if it stands against the clear teaching of Jesus’ Word, then it has no eternal benefit. And as disciples we must see the clear difference that Jesus makes, because, if we don’t, we will be swept away as the foolish man was.
This doesn’t mean that we can’t love people. This doesn’t mean, we shun the non-believer, that we do not share the Gospel with people. No, in fact it is because of this very teaching, that Jesus is the only way to gain salvation, that should drive us to love people. To reach out to the non-believer, to share the Gospel with people, to do good for our neighbors. Not just with our words, but actions. And not just with our actions, but our words as well.
So, though the world wants to have gods beside the God of the Bible, he will not allow his disciples to do that. And no matter the amount of miraculous works, whether they be as spectacular as casting out demons or a change in a person’s habits, will change God’s clear Word on the subject.
This week, I want to challenge all of us to wrestle with the question, do I put other things up against God and his Word? Do I allow for other paths to be just as valid? Do I confuse the God of the Bible, with the gods of other religions? Do I confuse the narrow path of Christ, with the wide range of philosophies of man?
God is calling us to his narrow path, which means, there is a narrow application of Jesus’ Word. God is calling us to one God, not many higher powers, which means, there is a narrow application of worship. And that means that if we are to be his disciples, those who are known by Jesus, we must reject all other paths that put themselves up against him and his Word.
So this week, wrestle with God asking the question, do I set up anything as a god as equal to the true God of the Bible. And if you do, there needs to be repentance and a change, because, “13 For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
Let us walk the path of Jesus’ narrow way, and be a people who, at his return, know the One true Almighty God. Amen.
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