Sermon Tone Analysis

*Narrow, Difficult, and Few*

/Mark 3.7-19a/

Pastor Oesterwind

 

*Introduction:*  Jesus taught that there are really only two ways to live our lives.

We have the choice to enter by the narrow gate which leads to eternal life or the broad way that leads to eternal death.

Because the narrow gate is difficult for people to accept, there are few who find it.

When it comes to the broad way, many traverse this path.

It’s so easy to just go with the flow.

So, either we choose the narrow, difficult, and the few or we choose the broad, easy, and the many.

Mark 3.7-19 begins with great multitudes and ends with 12 individuals.

All of these people made one of two choices when it came to the way they would live their lives.

We face this choice today.

*/We must choose the narrow, difficult gate in life even though few find it!/*

*Review:*  Preparation for the narrow gate begins with a clear understanding of the Gospel.

Jesus said in Mark 1.15, “Repent and Believe in the Gospel!”  Saving repentance means turning away from the belief that our works or moral goodness will enable us to gain entrance into Heaven and turning to the belief that the finished work of Jesus Christ is our only access to Heaven.

The good news has nothing to do with your good works and everything to do with the Person and Work of Jesus Christ.

The narrow gate is difficult.

Once we pass through, we find that learning to traverse the road ahead takes discipline.

Saving repentance has opened the way to a relationship with Christ.

We no longer claim authority over our lives, but rather Jesus is our Lord and Master.

We seek not to control or manipulate Jesus; we now understand that it must be Jesus controlling us.

Opposition and resistance to Jesus Christ come from all sides.

Sometimes we are a part of that opposition and we fail to recognize it.

The last sermon in our series in Mark’s Gospel taught us that we need to ask God to search and know our hearts.

We must do this because those hearts are deceitful.

·         The scribes and Pharisees were so deceived that faulty reasoning led them to the conclusion that Jesus was a blasphemer for forgiving the sins of a paralyzed man and then healing him.

·         These self-righteous Pharisees were so incensed that Jesus would eat with the hated tax collectors and sinners.

·         Religion pushed the disciples of John and of the Pharisees to fast, but Jesus said that it would be inappropriate for His disciples to fast.

The problem was that religious people are often driven by either confused or cold and loveless hearts.

·         These same Pharisees watched the disciples of Jesus pick grain on the Sabbath and legalistically demanded that Jesus stop them.

·         Jesus even healed the man with the withered hand on another Sabbath; this resulted in the plotting of the Pharisees with the Herodians.

They desired to destroy Jesus because they had hardened hearts.

*Transition:*  All of this opposition produced an atmosphere of great hostility.

Jesus was facing incredible pressure and yet He also was becoming incredibly popular with the people.

Our fifth message in the Gospel of Mark teaches us that even though the great multitudes follow Jesus only a few will truly enter the narrow gate.

However, */we must choose the narrow, difficult gate in life even though few find it!/*

/First, there is the broad way and then the narrow gate…/

 

 

The Broad Way (3.7-12)

 

/Come as You Are and Stay As You Are/

 

Remember that the Pharisees plotted with the Herodians against Jesus (3.6).

They plotted with the goal of murdering Him.

This hardened opposition did not stop the */multitudes/* from */following/* or */coming/* to Jesus.

This tells us that the religious leaders had little influence on the people.

That is probably what motivated their hatred for Jesus – they were losing control over the people.

The authority of Jesus took away from the Pharisees’ own self-imposed authority over the multitudes.

What we need to remember is that most of these people are on the broad way to destruction.

The fact the crowds are following Jesus means very little until individuals in the crowds commit to Him.

One day the */multitudes/* of Jesus’ followers would leave Him and cry out for His crucifixion because they misunderstood Him and because they could not accept His teaching.

When Jesus taught concerning the eating of His flesh and the drinking of His blood, John states that “from that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.”

Jesus questioned even the 12.  Would they go away as well?

Of course, we see this play out today.

You look at churches across the landscape in America.

Many draw great multitudes of people on any given Sunday.

Those crowds will continue to flock as long as you give them what they want instead of what they need.

If you preach a message that communicates, “Come as you are and stay as you are” they will do just that.

There will also be religious leaders willing to affirm the self-driven multitudes as well.

All of them are on the broad way to destruction.

But, */we must choose the narrow, difficult gate in life even though few find it!/*

/Shake the Dust Off/

 

*/Jesus/* */withdrew/* because of the plotting of the religious and political authorities (v.

6 and Matt 12.15-21).

His course was one of prudence and not retreat.

It is the right course when dealing with angry people on the broad way.

But notice that Jesus withdrew */with His disciples/*.

This detail lets us know that these disciples were already identifying with Jesus, identifying with the narrow gate.

There are times when we courageously stand up and rebuke evil.

There are other times when we prudently withdraw.

Our lives are valuable to God and should not be squandered on foolish stands in the face of unreasonable, angry people.

Sometimes, we need to pick up our sandals, clap off the dust, and move to another place.

*/We must choose the narrow, difficult gate in life even though few find it!/*

/Synagogues of Satan/

 

Note that Jesus withdrew from the synagogue to the sea.

Mark mentions Jesus entering a synagogue only one additional time (6.2).

From here to the end of the Gospel, synagogues are places where religious leaders search for the best seats (12.39) and where the followers of Jesus are beaten (13.9).

Jesus also withdrew from His enemies.

Mark records that these religious but hardened men will come now only to attribute demonic power to his ministry (3.22-30), to find fault with Him (7.1-2), and test Him (8.11-13).

Jesus will later confront His enemies by accusing them of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (3.29-30), pointing out their hypocrisy (7.6-7), and warning the disciples and crowds against them (8.15).

How do we see through the thin veneer of religiosity today?

There can only be one way to approach God.

The idea of many ways and many faiths is a lie from Hell.

Our land is dotted with Synagogues of Satan.

They provide a way for people to tolerate all kinds of evil under the guise of spirituality and unity.

It is a broad, destructive way.

Filled with pseudo-Christians that tolerate homosexuality, abortion, alcohol, and destructive media choices.

*/We must choose the narrow, difficult gate in life even though few find it!/*

/Committed but Uncommitted/

 

*/A great multitude from Galilee followed Jesus/* (7-8).

He was in Galilee so they kept following and flocking to Him in great numbers.

But the text also states that */a great multitude came to Him/* (8-9).

This is a second multitude that came from */Judea/*, */Jerusalem/*, */Idumea/*, */beyond the Jordan/*, and from */Tyre/* and */Sidon/*.

*/Judea/* was well south of Galilee.

*/Jerusalem/* is mentioned apart from the greater region of Judea due to its significance.

*/Idumea/* was also part of Judea (southern part) by the time of Jesus’ ministry.

Many of the Jews in Idumea had come from Edomite descent.

*/Beyond the Jordan/* would include territory east of the Jordan – an area deemed Perea.

A mixed heritage existed here, but most of the inhabitants were Jewish.

*/Tyre/* and */Sidon/* were two port cities well north of Galilee.

These significant cities are synonymous with the territory of Phoenicia.

Interestingly, the Samaritans dwelt between Galilee and Judea, but Samaria is not mentioned.

The Samaritans would not come to Jesus, but He would go to them.