Senior Pastor, Robert Dennison, preached this message on March 8, 2026.
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Audio Transcript
He went through one town and village after another, teaching and making his way to Jerusalem. Lord, someone asked him, are only a few people going to be saved? And he said to them, make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because I tell you, many will try to enter and won’t be able once the homeowner gets up and shuts the door. Then you will stand outside and knock on the door, saying, lord, open up for us. And he will answer you, I don’t know you or where you’re from.
Then you will say, we ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets. But he will say, I tell you, I don’t know you or where you’re from. Get away from me, all you evildoers. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in that place. When you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, but yourselves thrown out, they will come from east and west, from north and south, to share the banquet in the Kingdom of God.
Note this. Some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last. May we pray one more time? Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word. You have given it to us by your spirit.
And your spirit today is here to help us to understand it and to apply it to our lives. We thank you for his presence that you have given to us, that we might have him as a continual guide in our life as followers of your Son. It’s in Jesus name that we pray. Amen. We start out with the question, he went through one town and village after another, teaching and making his way to Jerusalem.
And Lord, someone asked him, are only a few people going to be saved? Jesus is on his final trip to Jerusalem, where he is going to be scourged and beaten and accused, where he’s going to be crucified on a cross, where he was going to undergo the most severe punishment and bear the weight of our sin. All of this is on his mind as he works in that direction. But he’s still preaching as he goes to bring people to the truth. We find that a man asks him, lord, are only a few people going to be saved?
Now, Jewish theologians during this time taught that basically all Jews by means of heritage were going to go to heaven. Now, there would be an exception for some that were exceptionally terrible in their sins. But their general thought was, we’ve got it made because we are the children of Abraham. And on the other hand, they were teaching that most Gentiles are destined to hell. And with the exception of only a Few converts to Judaism who would strictly follow the law.
There might be a few gentiles that would go to heaven. So the man is asking Jesus this question, so are only a few people going to be saved? Jesus doesn’t just answer this man, and he doesn’t really answer the question at all. But he speaks instead to everyone. He says to them, all of those that are gathered there, make every effort to enter through the narrow door.
What does make every effort mean here in the Greek, it means to contend for victory in the public games. Did any of y’ all watch the Olympics? Okay, this word is what they would tell the Olympic champions to strain every nerve to the uttermost toward the goal. I think the most difficult thing I saw was where they were cross country skiing uphill, about 12 people at a time all the way. They’re scrambling, and then they had to ski down and shoot a gun.
I mean, that just looked incredibly hard to go up the hill. I can’t even go down the hill on skis. You know, he’s telling, make every effort to enter through the narrow door. Now we have to clarify that Jesus is not trying to say that if we work hard enough that we can go to heaven, all that we try to do to be saved is worthless. So he’s not saying that here because it doesn’t fit in with the rest of God’s word.
Even going back to the Old Testament, we read in Isaiah 64, how can we be saved if we remain in our sins? The prophet was recognizing that we need something to change in our life because we have a sin problem. He said all of us had become like something unclean. And we talk about this word unclean here. We’re talking about people that had leprosy.
In that day, your skin, your flesh, your muscles would all actually just rot and start to fall off. So you would wipe that off with rags, and you would keep things wrapped up so nobody could see it. He’s saying, all our righteous acts, everything that we try to do that is wonderful and good and holy, they are like a what? A polluted garment. In other words, there isn’t anything that we can do to save us from our sins.
All of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away from like the wind. What does it mean to enter the door? Entering the door is what leads us to salvation. Now, it’s not the effort that we make to get to the door. It’s not the effort that we make to open the door.
Because Jesus opens the door for us. It’s going through that door. It’s the door that actually provides salvation by. But we have to make an effort to enter it. That’s why Jesus is pleading them, make every effort to enter.
Now, this is kind of tongue in cheek, but it’s very difficult in America to become a believer and profess that Jesus Christ is your savior because somebody might make fun of you. I mean, that’s terribly hard, right? Somebody might ridicule you. That’s awful. Somebody might not play sports with you anymore or play cards.
If you make a decision to follow Christ. We don’t really understand how difficult it can be to make a decision to follow Christ. Now, we always say it’s simple. All we have to do is place our faith in Jesus Christ, what he’s done for us. But it is difficult to make that decision, especially if you see it from a worldwide perspective.
If you were in a Muslim country and you’re presenting the gospel to a Muslim, you’re going to share about how Jesus died on the cross for their sins, how he was buried and raised from the dead so that they don’t have to suffer the punishment throughout eternity for what they’ve done. But then you’d have to tell them. But you’re going to make a lot of effort to make this decision. It’s difficult for you because when you go home today, your parents will have put all of your belongings out on the street. They will have taken all the money out of your bank account.
And when you go to work tomorrow, you won’t have a job. You’re going to have to be fearful that someone in your family thinks that it’s merciful to kill you now. And so we’re going to help you move to another part of the country where you can not know anybody and you can live out the Christian life. I know of one young man recently he made that decision, and when he walked home, his wife said, I’m divorcing you. You can no longer see your kids.
And in a Muslim country, the only place he could find to live is in a condemned building that they’re talking about turning off the water and demolishing any day for him. It’s difficult. It takes effort to make the decision to walk through the door. If you’ve ever read the book the Insanity of God talks in there about in communist China, if you make a profession of faith to follow Jesus Christ, more than likely you’re going to end up in jail. And believers there, according to the book, the man that has been there, they say, we don’t really know if you’ve made a decision to follow Christ until you actually do go to jail.
That’s the hardship that you have to go through. So imagine today if we told people, if you follow Jesus Christ, as soon as you walk out the door, the police are going to take you to jail for an unlimited amount of time. You would understand that if it might take effort to follow Jesus Christ to enter the door, but it is worthwhile going back to the text. He said to them, make every effort to enter through the narrow door. This picture of Jesus Christ being the door is throughout Scripture.
And when we say that it is a narrow door, we’re saying it is narrow in that there’s only one way through it. There’s only one door. And people can only enter that door one at a time because it has to be a personal decision to follow. The door may not appear to somebody to be beautiful. It may not be a huge gate.
And what we see on the other side doesn’t necessarily have all the things that the world has to offer. On one side. We have this narrow door to salvation, but the world is offering this huge gate that is decorated and is beautiful and lit up. And as you look through, you see partying and fun and fame and fortune. And for most of the world, going through that gate, wow, this looks easy.
But we all know, according to scripture, that gate is leading to eternal damnation. There’s only one gate. It’s simple to walk through. But the path on the other side also is not easy because Jesus promised it would be difficult to follow him. It’s not the door that most of the world is walking through.
You have family, friends, co workers and neighbors that are all far more likely to walk through this large, beautiful door that the world offers. Because there they see pleasure and ease and fun and enjoyment. And those are things that following Jesus, we are not promised with. But it’s worthwhile. And Jesus says, make every effort.
In John 14:6, he further clarified. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Jesus is saying, I am the only way. There is no other way.
You can’t just follow any world religion that you want and expect to get to heaven. Jesus says, there’s one way. There’s only one truth that the Scripture holds and there’s only one life. You either have to believe what Jesus says or you doubt him. And if you’re doubting him, then you haven’t followed him in faith.
Because Jesus says, no one comes to the Father except through me. And then in Acts 4:12, there is salvation in no one else. For there is no other name under heaven given to people by which they must be saved. We come now to the shutting of the door. We go back to the text Jesus said, because I tell you, many will try to enter and won’t be able.
Once the homeowner gets up and and shuts the door. At any moment Jesus Christ will return and the door to salvation is going to be shut. And after that, there are going to be people that are trying to enter, but it will be too late. That’s why he say, many will try to enter and won’t be able. It’s not while the door is open, it’s after he returns and the door is shut that it won’t be available.
Let’s go to Matthew, chapter 24. While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately and said, tell us, when will these things happen, and what is the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? We go on down to read in verse 32 where Jesus is sharing what it will be like before he returns. And he says, learn this lesson from the fig tree. As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near.
And in the same way, when you see all these things, recognize that he is near at the door, you see the connection. Here again, he’s talking about the door. What is the lesson from the fig tree? Well, consistently throughout Scripture, the fig tree represents the nation of Israel. And on May 14, 1948, Israel became a nation once again.
It wasn’t after 10 years. It wasn’t after 50 years. It wasn’t after 500 years. It was after around 2,000 years. The country had not existed and nobody ever would have thought it would exist again.
But the fig tree became tender, leaves started to sprout. And Jesus says, when you see that happening, no, that summer is near. In other words, know that the time when the door will be closed is approaching. Verse 34. Truly, I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place.
When heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. We don’t really know what the term generation means there. It could mean an average lifespan. It could mean a generation of people. Sometimes it means about 100 years in Scripture, but from 1948, 100 years out, 2048.
We don’t know when Jesus is going to return, but it seems to be the signs are here that his return will be Soon. And when that happens, the door will be shut. Verse 36. Now, concerning that day and hour, no one knows. I’m not telling you.
He’s coming back in 2048. If anyone ever tells you we know when Jesus is coming back, you can say, well, you’re not speaking from God’s word. Because what does God’s word say? No one knows. Neither the angels of heaven nor the Son, except the Father alone.
And then he goes into a new example to explain the end days. We’ve heard about the fig tree. But he also says, as the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. For in those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. Until the day Noah boarded the ark, they didn’t know until the flood came and swept them all away.
And this is the way the coming of the Son of Man will be. If we go back to the story in Genesis, it tells us that every thought of every individual, the inclinations of their heart and their will was to do evil all the time. It had gotten so bad that only Noah and his family were obedient to the Lord. And in spite of this, Noah builds this huge ark and he’s telling people there’s a flood coming. And even though they have him preaching and building the ark, they’re not paying any attention to it.
And then the day came that the one door in the ark closed. So you see how the picture fits here. There was one door in the ark that pictures one door to salvation. And it says that Noah didn’t close that door. Noah didn’t have the ability to open it back up.
That door was closed by the Lord God Almighty. And. And then it was too late. Because when the flood came and the water started to rise, it came suddenly up on them. The door was closed.
All of their calling out, noah, let us in. We’ve eaten with you. We’ve heard you teaching. You know us. But Noah was unable to open the door at that time.
Then Jesus tells us more what it’ll be like. In verse 40, he says, two men will be in the field, and one will be taken and one left. Two men are pulling weeds. They’re hoeing. Whatever they’re doing, they’re close together, they’re talking this way.
One man turns this way, and when he turns back, his friend is going to be gone, his tools are going to be on the ground, and it’s going to be too late because the door is closed. Jesus said, two women will be grinding grain with a Hand mill. One of them has already walked through the door and one has not. Maybe the one that has not has been thinking about it because her friend has been telling her about the door. But as they’re grinding flour, she turns to put flour in her bowl or her bag, and when she turns back, the friend is gone and it’s too late to make a decision.
Then two women will be grinding grain with a hand mill. One will be taken and one left. Therefore, Jesus warns again, be alert, since you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.
We go back to our text now in Luke chapter 13, where Jesus says, I don’t know you.
When that door closes, Jesus says, you will stand outside and you’re going to be knocking on again the door. He keeps mentioning this, saying, lord, open up for us.
People are going to be pleading and begging, but he will answer them, I don’t know you or where you’re from. Once the door is closed, it will be too late even for those who beg. And these people seem to know who the Lord is. They’re calling out to him as if they know Him. And if they think that he knows them, but his answer is short and indefinite, I don’t know you or where you’re from.
Then you’re going to plead with the master. In verse 26, they say to him, after the door is closed, but we ate and drank in your presence, and you even taught in our streets. In other words, we were around you in great social situations. We went to potlucks with you at church, we listened to your teaching.
And we need to start to see here where this is leading us, because what it’s saying to us that we can be around Jesus in social situations, we can be around Jesus in church situations, we can be around Jesus in small groups and classes and studies. But. But that is not equivalent with being a follower of Jesus. And in the same way they said you taught in our streets. You know you can hear the word of Jesus here today.
You can hear it in small groups. You can hear his word in classes, on the radio, on podcasts. But hearing the words of Jesus are not equivalent with being a follower of Jesus. Jesus is giving this warning that it is easy to sincerely come to the wrong conclusion that you are a true follower of Jesus Christ. You can think, well, I’ve been around it.
My grandmother was a believer, and I’ve always been to church, and I do things and I hear the message all the time. That is not sufficient to demonstrate that you have placed your faith in the Lord Jesus. Christ again. But he will say, I tell you, I don’t know you or where you’re from. Get away from me, all you evildoers.
These people think that they know the Master, but just thinking that is not enough. Jesus says they are evil doers. The present and eternal destination for all that do not know Jesus is as Lord and Savior is to be away from him for eternity. What does that look like? Jesus goes on to tell us in verse 28 that there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in that place.
When you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves thrown out, this term weeping and gnashing of teeth, appears seven times in the New Testament. Let’s see what else it’s associated with. In Matthew 8:12, it says, but the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. So we’re talking about the eternal destination of all that do not follow Jesus Christ in hell. That is known as Gehenna.
Gehenna. And it is a place of darkness. Here it’s a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. And let’s read in Matthew 13:41 that it is a place of burning fire. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom all who cause sin and those guilty of lawlessness, and they will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, and then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom, the eternal destiny.
There are only two choices. There’s nothing in between that says you just don’t exist anymore. You are a spiritual being. You will exist for eternity. And Jesus Christ gives you the option of one place or the other.
Now we go back to the Jewish thought here that just the Jews are going to heaven. And many in that crowd, he was telling them, you’ve heard me and you’ve been around me, but you haven’t accepted me. But Jesus gives this promise that there will be people coming from east and west and people from the north and the south, and all of these people from all over the world are going to share in the banquet. In the Kingdom of God, followers of Jesus will come from everywhere to celebrate. And it’s referred to as the marriage feast of the Lamb.
And the most cheerful, joyful meals that we have usually are after a wedding when we’re all sitting together. And we’re so happy about the newlywed couple and the life that they have in front of them. It’s going to be a glorious time that God promises for us. Then Jesus just adds this note. He says, note this.
Some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last. I think when we get to heaven someday we’re going to be surprised at some people that are there because God is very gracious. But we’re also going to be surprised about people that we thought were followers of him, but they really have never entered the door. They just were around him and they just listened to Him. He said to them, make every effort to enter through the one and only narrow door, which is Jesus Christ.
I want to end by reading a quote from R.K. hughes, and he just kind of sums it all up with this. Jesus represented the way of salvation as the narrow door. The image suggests the moral posture of the person who would strive to enter the kingdom. IH Marshall notes that the imagery is akin to that of a camel but passing through the needle’s eye. And what it’s talking about there is the cities would have large gates that were open during the day, but at nighttime they would close those large gates and there would just be a small opening in case there was an emergency or a messenger that had to bring something into the city that was called the eye of the needle.
And it was possible to get your camel through if your camel would kneel down on the ground and someone would pull from the other side and someone would push them through.
He said that this passing through the needle’s eyes suggests the difficulty of facing up to the demands of Jesus in self denial. Because when we do come to him in faith, we’re saying, I no longer live for myself, I’m going to live for you. And that’s the part that isn’t always easy. The passage to heaven is not through the great portal of a palace, but a narrow low door through which one must humbly squeeze. And after entering, the road still remains narrow.
As Jesus explained when he preached at another time, enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate, and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Few people are willing to assume the humble posture and to shed what is necessary to get through the gate, and few are willing to tread the narrow road. We invite you today that if you’ve never entered through that narrow gate, that somebody’s going to be at the rear of the auditorium today that will talk to you about how you can know for certain that you’re going to be inside the door when it closes one day, and that you will be able to celebrate with our glorious Savior at that banquet in heaven.
So we’re going to have a word of prayer as the musicians are coming up. Just step out while we’re singing and go to the back. And someone with a prayer team tag will be happy to meet you. Will you stand with me as I pray? Heavenly Father, we thank you that you have just continually warned us.
You’ve shown us our need because of our sin problem. But praise you, you have provided a way that our sins might be forgiven through the life, the death, the burial, and the resurrection of your son, that he has taken upon himself all the penalty for our sin, all of the filthiness of our lives, so that we might stand clean in your presence and live with you in eternity. Father, help us to search our hearts. We ask that you would prompt us to move forward and out to speak to someone today to make that decision to follow you if any of us have not up to this point. In your son’s name, we pray.
Amen.