The sermon delivered by Robert Bosley, titled 'Parable of the Narrow Gate,' focuses on Luke 13:22-30 and its parallel passage in Matthew 7:13-15. The sermon dissects the parable, identifying its four key elements: the narrow gate (representing Jesus and faith in Him), the wide gate (representing false paths leading to destruction), the limited time frame to enter the gate, and the feast awaiting inside (symbolizing eternal joy and unity with God). Bosley emphasizes that Jesus is the only way to salvation, refuting concepts of universalism and inclusivism. He stresses the urgency of entering the narrow gate before the opportunity closes, either through Christ's return or one's death. The sermon also highlights the unity of God's people from all ages, gathered to enjoy eternal peace and rest. Bosley interprets the question asked to Jesus about the number of people being saved as pertinent to His generation, contrasting it with the promise of a future countless multitude of believers. He concludes by urging listeners to strive to know Christ and to remain focused on Him, warning against distractions and false doctrines.

If you would, take out your Bible and open up to Luke chapter 13. Luke chapter 13. We're continuing the series on the parables of the kingdom. And today we're going to look at a couple of verses here that there's really some debate in the commentaries if it technically qualifies as a parable. But I wanted to preach it, so we're going to assume it is a parable.

I do think it does have the elements of a parable. I do think it works. It's at least metaphorical, and the line between metaphor and parable is a little fuzzy to begin with. So open up to Luke chapter 13 and we're going to begin reading in verse 22. Luke 13 22 and he went through the cities and villages teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem.

Then one said to him, Lord, are there few who are saved? And he said to them, strive to enter through the narrow gate. For many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When Once the master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open for us. And he will answer and say to you, I do not know you, where you are from.

And then you will begin to say, we ate and drank in your presence and you taught in our streets. But he will say, I tell you, I do not know you where you are from. Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and yourselves thrust out. They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God.

And indeed, there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last. Let's pray. Father we thank you for this time we have in your word this afternoon. Lord open up our hearts and our minds to see wonderful things in your word. Enable us God to understand these precious words that you've given to us.

And may we through it come to understand more of this amazing grace that we just sang about, that you have for your people. In Christ's name, amen. So this story, this parable is one that I think we're probably all very familiar with, the idea of the narrow door, the narrow gate. There's a parallel passage in Matthew 7 at the end of the Sermon on the Mount, simply two verses. It's a much more condensed in Matthew's account.

I'm gonna read that really quickly so we can consider both together. In Matthew chapter seven, verses 13 through 15, Jesus says, enter by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction. And there are many who go in by it, because narrow is the gate and difficult the way which leads to life and there are few who find it." Now when we consider the different elements of this parable, the elements of this story, the interpretation is actually fairly straightforward interpreting the different elements of it. There's not a whole lot of difficulty and almost all commentators as far as I've seen are in basic agreement with the outline of the story. What we see here there are four basic elements to this story.

There's the narrow gate, and when we consider the parallel Matthew 7, there's the opposing wide gate and broad way. Third, there's a time frame in which the gate is open. There's a time frame to go through the gate. And lastly, there's a feast waiting on the other side. So the beginning with the first, the narrow gate, what the narrow gate, universally there's agreement the gate itself is Jesus and faith in him.

Elsewhere Jesus in John chapter 10 says, I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and he will go in and out and find pasture. Now that is a different context, but the idea is the same. Jesus himself is the gate. He is the way, the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father but through Him. That is the idea here. There is one way of salvation. There is only one way of salvation, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the narrow gate that leads to life.

I know many of us have read Pilgrim's Progress, many of us have probably read it multiple times. Pilgrim, before he becomes known as Christian, Pilgrim is pointed to the wicket gate or the narrow gate and he goes and he's brought in, he's fleeing from the attacks of the enemy and the man at the gate grabs him and pulls him in. Well if you read part two where Christian's wife and children come in, you learn very clearly that in the allegory, the man keeping the gate is the king. In the allegory, it's Christ who is keeping the gate, who pulled the Christian in and welcomes Christiana and mercy and the children. And Bunyan pulled that imagery directly from here.

Christ is the gate. He is the one. If you are going to go in and find pasture in the sheepfold, if you are going to go in and find the rest that your soul needs, you can only go through Christ. He is the gate. But opposed to this narrow gate, there is a broad gate.

There is a wide gate and a broad way in Matthew 7 in the parallel account. Opposed to the one way of Christ, there are many false ways that are together considered as this one large gate, because ultimately all these other ways, these other claimed ways of salvation are merely different paths that all lead to destruction. Do not be deceived by those who would say that all roads lead to God. Do not be deceived by those who would say that if you do the best you can in whatever religion you find yourself, God will be pleased. There is only one way.

This passage completely annihilates any concept of universalism that all people will go to God at the end or all forms of inclusivism that God will accept people from any and all religion as long as they're sincere enough. Sincerity is not what will save anyone. It is truth. It is Christ who saves. And it is only by repentance and faith in Him that anyone will ever be saved.

Do not be confused or deceived on this mark. So that's the first two elements, the two gates, the narrow gate and then the wide gate or the broad way. The third element there's a particular time, there's a particular time frame in which you have opportunity to go through this gate. Look again to what it says in verse 24. Jesus says strive to enter through the narrow gate.

For many, I say to you, will seek to enter and not be able, and I think our New King James does a little bit of a disservice there, because it puts a period when I don't think there should be one. Many will seek to enter and not be able when once the master of the house has risen up and shut the door. There is a time when the door will be closed. Now is the day of salvation. But we do not know how long that opportunity will last.

One day that narrow gate will be barred shut from the inside. And then the parable, there are people standing outside and banging on the door to be let in. Now again, this is a parable. I don't think it's actually a description of what will happen, but the imagery is attention grabbing. I think this idea of the invitation's gone out.

People have been called to gather to this feast and the time has come and the door has been shut and the door has been barred and there is no more entrance given and the people are outside clamoring and knocking on the door and saying let us in you know us he says no I have no idea who you are Once the master of the house has shut the door, there is no more opportunity to enter in. Now we don't know how long the opportunity to believe the gospel will last. We do not know what day Christ will return. But when he returns, the opportunity for salvation is passed. We don't know when he's going to return.

You also don't know when you will die. And the scriptures give no hint anywhere. In fact, it completely flies in the face of the idea that after death you have another opportunity to repent. There's a point of demand once to die and after this, the judgment. The gate will be closed when Christ returns and all the fullness of this is brought into effect and we enter the eternal kingdom or when you breathe your last and you stand before God, the gate will be closed.

You have a narrow opportunity. Your life is a vapor, you do not know how long you have. And so that is why we are told today is the day of salvation. How will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? While the gate is open to you, you're not hard in your heart and turn away from it.

There is a gate open and free and full forgiveness of sins offered, but One day that gate will be closed and you will not be able to enter in. The final element of the parable, there's a feast inside and again I think the New King James does a little bit of a disservice in looking verse 29 they will come from east and the west and from the north and the south and sit down in the kingdom of God. The word rendered here as sit in the New King James is often used specifically to refer to reclining at a table. So language of when the disciples were gathered in the room with Jesus for the Passover before his death. They were reclining at the table.

They were seated at the table. It was a feast. It was part of the Passover. And we see this throughout the New Testament. This word is used to describe sitting at a table.

It's not just, they're not just sitting chatting, they're not sitting in the living room hanging out. This is, they are coming together from east and west, north and south, people gathered together with the patriarchs and the prophets to enjoy the feast that God has promised his people will enjoy in the eternal state. The imagery here is this great eschatological feast, the feast of God that all people, that all the people of God from all ages will gather together in to enjoy together. And ultimately, what are they enjoying? Is the feast literal, figurative?

I don't know. If it's figurative, it's pointing to something even better than the best feast you've ever had. It is pointing ultimately to what people will enjoy in the eternal state, the complete enjoyment of God himself. That with unveiled face, you will see your creator and your savior and you will enjoy his presence and his goodness you will feast on him forever you will enjoy what your soul desperately needs and what it was made for. That's what the feast ultimately points to.

And note here what it says, there is a unity to the people of God. You will see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the patriarchs, and all the prophets, the faithful of the old covenant will be at this feast. But then also, what does he say in verse 29? Then they will come, they being people from all these places, people who are following Christ. They will come from east and the west, from the north and the south.

In other words, all the areas surrounding Israel, It's Gentiles. The message goes out wherever men are found and God has his elect and they are being gathered in. So we have this great unity in the eternal state, this unity of all who have ever been redeemed, gathering together to enjoy God forever. A unity of the people of God from both the old and the new covenant. There are no two churches or two peoples of God throughout history.

There is one people of God. There is one united church from the Garden of Eden to the eternal city we read of at the end of Revelation. It is one people of God. And they will be united at last and enjoy peace and they will enjoy the goodness of God in ways that they've never before enjoyed. Right now we are considered, historically you look throughout history different ways of describing the church.

We who are alive and in the war right now in the earth fighting against our own sinful tendencies fighting against the sin in the world, we are the church militant or the church at war. But the saints in heaven and ultimately the whole church at the end of the age, that is the church at rest. The church at peace, the church that has received its victory. Not because the church itself does anything spectacular, but only because of the gift of God, what Christ has done. He gives his people rest.

He has opened this door and sent the invitation, and he is drawing all kinds of men to himself, that one day the church at war will be the church at rest and peace with our God. So that's the parable. That is really the thrust of the parable, that there is now an open time of salvation. This open time is limited, but if you heed the call and if you go through the door, you will find what you truly need. You will find the forgiveness of sins.

You will find the peace with God that you need as a rebel sinner. I wanna go back quickly before we make the application. I do want to answer, I do want to interact a little bit with the question that Jesus has asked That starts the parable. Look at verse 23. Then one said to him, Lord, are there few who are saved?

I feel like I've been just criticizing the New King James repeatedly here, but the question is very particular. I think we need to be careful when we translate all of God's Word, obviously. But I think we need to be very careful when we translate this question. The ESV, in my opinion, is one of the worst translations on this question. I love the ESV.

Here it misses the mark. It adds the word will, making this a future event. Are there few who will be saved? I think it's how the ESV renders it. New King James is good.

I do actually prefer the New American Standard here, or the Lexis, Legacy Standard by when it renders it. Lord, are there just a few who are being saved? And the reason I think that there's a stress put on this is because the verb is present tense. Are there few who are being saved? It's a present passive participle, if that helped anyone understand.

I think that there is a possibility that this present tense could simply be referring to what's known as a nomic or a parable, not parable, a proverbial truth. Oftentimes we'll say something that is generally true and put it in the present tense, right? That could be what's happening here, but I don't actually think so. I think this man is asking Jesus a question about his generation. Are there few who are being saved right now?

When this question is asked 2, 000 years ago. Perhaps the man is asking this question in light of the fact that Jesus has a relatively few number of followers compared to some of the other great teachers of his day, so-called. Perhaps the questioner is being sarcastic and he's mocking the fact that Jesus has a relatively small following. We don't know, but I do think his question is referring to what is happening at that time, not what will happen throughout all of history. Why do I say this?

I think it's significant because What has Jesus taught in the two parables just before this story? The parable of the leaven and the parable of the mustard seed. Look at verse 18. He, Jesus, said, What is the kingdom like, and what shall I compare it? It's like a mustard seed which a man took and put in his garden, and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.

Verse 20, and again he said, To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? It's like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, but until it was all leavened. We have these two parables, the mustard seed and the leaven, which I did months ago, but the idea is the kingdom starts small, but it fills the earth. The message of the kingdom, the gospel, goes forth and it has initially just a small following, but it will fill the whole earth and the nations will find its rest. I think that's what the birds are that rest in the tree.

It's the nations coming to rest in the kingdom of God. This parable of the narrow gate is often interpreted as saying, well, there's only a few who are ever going to be saved. The vast majority of mankind is going to be damned and lost. And I don't think that's what it says. The man asks the question, are there few who are being saved?

And in Jesus' day, the answer was unequivocally yes. Jesus had come to his own and his own did not receive him. Why? Because they were an apostate people. And within 30 years, or sorry, within 40 years, God destroyed them.

But after that, the gospel went out and has been conquering and conquering as we see is promised in the Old Testament scriptures and in the New Testament. That the message of Jesus will go out and reach all people. To the point where the book of Revelation says that there will be a countless multitude from every tribe and tongue and people and language and nation all gathered around the throne of God to Worship him and enjoy him a countless multitude will come in and enjoy the feast we read about here There will be a countless multitude that go through the narrow gate. Because the narrow gate, again, the narrowness is not a reference to how many are going to go through, but it's a simple fact that you can only go through one way. It is through Christ and Christ alone.

And so no, I don't think we need to take this as there are only ever going to be a few who are saved. The knowledge of the glory of God will cover this earth as the waters cover the seas. I think we have only begun to see what God will do in the world. I don't know when, but I believe when Jesus said, go and make disciples of all nations, and I am with you even to the end of the age, I don't think there's any way we're going to fail if Jesus is with us and he has all authority to do it. So at that time, yes, there were a few who were being saved, but not forever.

We are promised that there is a countless multitude that Christ has redeemed by his cross. And so we hold on to both these truths. There is a narrow way, but there is going to be a universal reach of the gospel to gather this great multitude in. The nations will be reached and they will all enter through that narrow gate. The way is narrow but Christ is saving the whole world.

So what does this all mean for us? Well, the command that Jesus gives here to the crowd is commanded to us today. Strive to enter the narrow gate. If the gate is Christ and faith in him, how do we strive? That language kind of seems foreign.

Isn't faith the opposite of striving? And in a sense, it is. But this command to strive to enter the gate is not a command to be saved by works. It's not a command to be saved by your own effort. That would completely undercut the entire message of the parable.

We don't strive to do more good works than bad so that your soul is weighed in the balance and found to be better. We strive to know Christ. We strive to know Him and to trust Him alone. That is what you strive to do. It is not a strive to make your good outweigh your bad.

It is a striving that you are not distracted by the things of this world, the things that want to pull your heart away from Christ. That is the the striving, the fighting, the wrestling that we go through. We lay aside all the sin and the weights that cling to us that we may pursue Christ, both in our first coming to Him as well as following him throughout the rest of your life. It is a narrow gate and a narrow way. You must strive the whole way through.

You will face discouragement from your circumstances. You will face false ideas about earning the forgiveness of sins and earning a right standing with God by your morality or your ethics. And we also have to strive against the simple human tendency to delay and ignore the most important things. We strive against all these things to have our attention set fully on Christ. That is how we strive.

It's human nature to try and take some credit for your salvation. We always want to be part of how we were saved. We strive against any false idea like that. You strive to be focused on Christ. Do not be led away by false saviors with their false promises.

It is Christ and Christ alone who is the narrow door and the narrow way that leads to eternal life. So your striving is to be focused on Him and not pulled away by every wind of doctrine. So the command is to us, strive to enter the narrow gate. You children, listen, this is the command to you, strive to enter the narrow gate. It is a narrow gate.

Your parents cannot carry you through it. It is a narrow gate that you must go through personally and particularly. Nothing less than your own personal salvation is at stake. And there is no other way than going through the narrow gate that is Christ. Trust in Him.

Turn from your sins, turn from your self-righteousness, and look solely to Jesus. He is the gate. He is the way that leads to life. And if you go through that gate, you will find that He is more than worth it. You will find that He is everything you need.

And he has promised you even more than what you'll experience even in this life and eternity of unending joy and happiness awaits those who go through this narrow gate So do not delay Consider your heart Are you on this narrow way? Or Are you still on the broad path that leads to destruction? Let's pray. Our Father, we thank you for this passage. Thank you, Lord, for giving us these words and this warning and encouragement that you have opened up a way of salvation.

God may you not let any be lost here today. God draw them so they would find the narrow way. Thank you Lord for your word. Thank you for your promises. Thank you Lord for sending your Son to be the gate for our salvation.

In His name we pray, amen.