How Narrow is Narrow?

“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 is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Matthew 7:13-14

Tonight's passage comes right after "Ask, Seek, Knock" during the Sermon on the Mount.  It comes right before Jesus talks about "True and False Witnesses."  The passage is the transition from teaching to warning.  Let's examine the original Greek to uncover deeper meaning to this Scripture.

In English, "narrow" and "wide" are consider antonyms of each other.  An antonym is a word opposite in meaning to another (e.g., bad and good).  "Narrow" is diametrically, contradictory different to "Wide."  The Greek word is stenos which means narrow or figuratively the closely-defined path God ordains to travel on to gain His approval.  Wide is platus in the Greek or broad.  To emphasize how wide and broad, the author restates with the Greek word, euruchóros, or spacious, wide.  The next time narrow is used in the text, the word is thlibó, I make narrow, persecute.

 The Greek word for destruction here is apóleia which means destruction, loss, perishing, eternal ruin.  It has as its root word of apollumi which we have discussed means the "lost," unbeliever.  This leads us to another pair of antonyms, destruction and life.  As a contrast to apoleia, the Greek word here is zóé which means life, both of physical (present) and of spiritual (particularly future) existence.

The Scripture has one last pair of antonyms, many and few.  In English, a few has been numerated as three to five.  In the Greek, oligos means small, brief, few, slight, little.  Many is polus which means many (high in number), multitudinous, plenteous, "great" in amount (extent), numerous.  Multitudinous gives us even further insight.  Many is populous, crowded, containing many people or inhabitants, having a large population, containing many inhabitants, abundantly populated.

In this warning, Jesus tells us that an abundant amount of people walk the copiously large road to unbelief and death.  Rarely can a person be found that walks the closely defined, persecuted road to belief in Christ and eternal life.  So, how rare is a true redeemed person in Christ?  How many of us are truly saved?

Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
Luke 17:28-30

Perhaps examining Lot's story we may discover the rarity of Christians.  Sodom and Gomorrah population has been estimated anywhere from 600 to 1200 to almost 5000 people.  According to the Bible, only three people were spared.  Let's be generous and define "few" as 3 out of 600.  The population of the plant Earth today is roughly seven billion.  Using a Lot definition of "few," 35 million true redeemed believing Christians are alive today. 

Millions of people doesn't seem rare or few, but let's consider a few more statistics.  The United States of America (USA) has a population of almost 300 million people which three quarters profess to be Christian.  129 million people in the USA identify themselves as Evangelical, born again Christians.  Using the Lot definition of "few," all the Christian alive today would have to be living in the USA.  Even with that, the 35 million doesn't even come close to the 129 million Evangelicals.  35 million doesn't even compare to the 60 to 80 million people estimated to be killed in World War II.

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

Revelation 7:9-10

This great multitude of believers uses the same Greek word as our previous text, polus.  Therefore, at the end, there will be plenty of believers, right?  But exactly what is a number "no one could number?"  The life expectancy during the time John wrote this was 40 years.  If someone counted from one the second they were born and increased the number a second until they died at 40, that person would count to over 1.2 billion.  To count to 35 million would take a little over a year.  We need to also consider that only over 110 million people were estimated living at this time.  I conclude counting a million would seem to be a lot to them.

This study arrives to this question: How do we know if someone is truly saved?  Yes, we will know them by their fruit, but we don't know their heart.  Only you know your own heart.  Only you know whether you have a relationship with Christ.  Only you know if your fruit is from the Holy Spirit.  We will only know who truly believes in Christ when we get to heaven.  In the grand scheme of things, by tonight's Scripture, there's not going to be a lot of us.  Nearly 107 billion people have walked the planet Earth. Using the Lot definition of "few," only 535 million will believe.  That's only 0.5%, five people out of every 1000.  Even if the Lot definition is wrong, it can't be far off.  Few and many are antonyms, direct opposites.  If many is the world's population, than few would be in the millions not billions.

Five people out of every 1000.  Are you one of the five?

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. “John3:16

March Madness!

I'm very fond of statistics and mathematical models.  If you take my favorite sports time of the year, NCAA men's basket ball tournament time, and statistics, you have an opportunity for me to spend hours developing different brackets based on past performances.  I've developed a Six Step process influenced by statistics.  I've developed a Excel randomization model based on the steps to remove my biases.  Over the years, several of my brackets were in the top 5% of ESPN, CBS, NCAA, etc.  One bracket was in the top 0.09%.  I've listed the steps below.

STEP One:

• Declare victories for Number 1 and 2 seeds in the first round.  2012 was a figment of your imagination.

STEP Two:

• Pick your final four.  The bracket will be won and lost on these four teams.
• Do NOT pick these seeds:  7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 (15 and 16 go without saying).
• Do NOT Pick all Number 1 seeds (It only happened once)
• Pick two number one seeds.
• For the remaining seeds, pick either 1, 2, 3, 4.  If you like disappointment, venture out on the wild side and pick a 5,6 or 8 seed.
• Note: You can have a bracket with zero or one number 1 seed.  It's riskier though.

STEP Three:

• You want to make at least 26 points in the First Round.  There can be plenty of upsets, but to minimize point loss, just pick three solid upsets.
• 9 and 10 seeds win 40% of the time.  11 and 12 seeds win 30% of the time.  13 and 14 seeds win 20% of the time.
• If you want some fun during the first couple of days, you can pick up to seven upsets, but you will increase your chances of being below 26 points.

STEP Four:

• Pick three solid upsets in Round 2.
• Never pick a 9 seed to win.  13 and 14 seeds hardly ever win.
• 5, 6, 10, 11, and 12 seeds have a 50/50 shot at winning.   7 and 8 seeds only have a 30% chance.

STEP Five:

• Pick 3 to 4 upsets from Round of Sweet Sixteen.
• Never pick a 12, 13, or 14 seed.
• Number 3 seeds have a 50/50 shot.  4, 6, 10, and 11 seeds have a 30% chance.
• Remember to pick your final four teams that you selected in Step Two!

STEP Six:

• Pick the Final Two Teams and your winner.

There you go. You now have selected a tournament bracket based on statistics.  Remember, this is just for fun.  The technique may help you and it may not.  Let the basketball begin!

Pray for the Children's Ministry

Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
1 Timothy 4:12

But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 19:14

When I moved to Alabama before the rest of my family arrived, I spent several Sundays attending different churches in the area.  I found one that I thought was the perfect fit.  The church had expository preaching, a huge choir, a large youth program, and a passion for the Lost.  After the kids enjoyed Vacation Bible School, I concluded that we had found our new church home.  I was wrong.

After attending regularly for several weeks, my kids confided in me that they didn't like their Sunday School class.  They wanted to try a new church.  Their reaction set me back.  I was sold, but my kids weren't.

Families go to church where their children want to go to church.

In the past, families were oriented around what the parents wanted to do and the kids just tagged along.  Nowadays, families are dominated by the kid's activities and what they want to do.  So, parents will take their kids to Chuck E Cheese even though they desperately don't want to go.  Even unbelievers will take their kids to church if they want to go.

The 2004 Barna Group, a research and marketing firm for the Christian ministry , study indicated that 43% of all Americans accept Jesus Christ before reaching the age of 13.  The study further revealed that 64% of Christians made that commitment before their 18th birthday.    Around 2009, another survey by the International Bible Society stated that 83% of all Christians make their commitment between the ages of 4 and 14.

The most fertile time to reach the Lost is during their Elementary and Middle School years.  Many will come to faith in Christ before they reach High School, or not at all.  Therefore, the church must not only evangelize the families but also the children.

Using the F.L.O.C.K. acrostic, we will pray for the "C", the children, youth, and preschool ministries.  Tonight, let's examine our passage in Matthew first.

Jesus is beckoning the little children.  In the Greek, the word is paidion, a little child, properly, a child under training, implies a younger child (perhaps seven years old or younger), figuratively, an immature Christian.  Jesus further rebukes the disciples insisting that they don't forbid the children.  Elaborating in the Greek, Jesus instructs them not to kóluó, which is prevent, hinder, keep from, because toioutos, of such a kind, like, truly this sort (to denote character or individuality) will inherit the kingdom.

The church hinders children from Christ by making church boring to them.  The church frustrates children by not connecting with them.  As the church, we ask questions that are too easy or too difficult.  We don't include them in church activities.  We don't reach out to them with the Gospel.  We tend to "Disneyify" the experience instead of staying in the Word.

How do we, the church, reach the lost children and teach the believing children?  Paul gives us a very good idea when encouraging Timothy.   Paul first writes that the church should not kataphroneó, despise, scorn, disregard, view down with a negative (hostile) outlook, think little of, esteem lightly, seeing as insignificant or detestable, treat with contempt, pay no regard to the youth, the children, the teenagers, young people.

Paul then points out the traits Timothy should tupos, model, model forged by repetition, correct paradigm based on reliable precedent for others to then follow (i.e. the right example, a believer in Christ).

BELIEVER.
In the Greek, pistós is defined as faithful (loyalty to faith; literally, fullness of faith), believing the faith God imparts.

WORD.
In the Greek, lógos is defined as a word, being the expression of a thought, preeminently used of Christ (John 1:1), expressing the thoughts of the Father through the Spirit.

CONDUCT.
In the Greek, anastrophé is defined as dealing with other men, conduct, life, behavior, manner of life. inner beliefs.

LOVE.
In the Greek, agápē is defined as properly, love which centers in moral preference, benevolence, good will, esteem, typically refers to divine love , what love God prefers.

FAITH.
In the Greek, pistis is defined as faith, belief, trust, confidence; fidelity, faithfulness. come to trust moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation, assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.

PURITY.
In the Greek, hagneia is defined as purity, chastity, sinlessness, cleanliness.

Pray for your church to reach children with the Gospel, to teach children the Christian life, to provide Christian role models, and to provide abundant supply of workers for the harvest.  Children, youth, and preschool ministries are what the Great Commission is all about.



Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen
Matthew 28:19-20

Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.
Malachi 3:10

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."
Matthew 7:7

Nearly 60% of all marriages fail.  The number one reason for these failures is money problems.  Let's face it, we live in a material world.  We want what we want when we want it.  This attitude can lead to spending outside our means, which can in turn result in conflict with your spouse.  I truly believe that money is one of Satan's most effective tools against Christians.  Paul writes in 1 Timothy 6:9-10 "But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."

As believers in Christ, we are considered His bride, the Church.  Just as with earthly marriages, our heavenly marriage has a big issue with money.  We call this "money", tithes and offerings.  People tend to stay away from Church or despise Christians because either (1) they view them as hypocrites or (2) they see churches as money grubbers.  Money, money, money, oh what trouble it can cause.  Before we get into the Scripture tonight, let's define "tithes and offerings."

Merriam Webster defines tithe as "to pay or give a tenth part of especially for the support of the church."  Tithe in the Old English is teogopa or tenth.  In the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible, tithe is used 37 times (only five times in the New Testament).  The Hebrew word for "tithe" is maaser which means a tenth part.  The Greek word is apodekatoo, take off (deduct) a tenth part (of my property) (and give it away).

Merriam Webster defines offering as "something offered; especially a sacrifice ceremonially offered as part of worship."  Offering is the noun form of the verb, offer, which from the Old English, ofrian, to bring an oblation, religious gift.  It also has roots in the Latin word, offerre, bring before in worship.  In the NKJV of the Bible, offering is used 710 times (only 17 times in the New Testament). The Hebrew word is terumah which means a contribution, offering (for sacred uses).  The Greek word is prosphora, that which is offered, a gift, a present.

Typically, the Church defines a tithe as the minimum requirement of a believer.  The offering is what a believer gives above the tithe.  Looking into the Hebrew for tithe, the minimum is a tenth part of something.  In our case, a tenth of our money.  The offering is the gift given above this requirement.

Using the F.L.O.C.K. acrostic, we will pray for the "O", offering, for the Church, but why is an offering important beyond just paying the pastors salaries, maintenance on the church facilities, and helping the poor and needy?  Let's examine Malachi 3:10.

The book of Malachi was written before the 400 years of silence from God's prophets.  The silence was broken by the forerunner to Christ, John the Baptist. It is unknown if the author's name was Malachi or if it was the author's title.  Malachi means messenger in Hebrew. The time that the book was written was when Nehemiah had returned to Jerusalem for the second time.  After repairing the city  walls, he went back to Babylon to serve the Persian king.  During the time the walls were being repaired, the Isrealites obeyed God. However, Isreal had rebeled against God while Nehemiah was away. They didn't tithe, married foreign women, ignored the Sabbath, and the priests had become consumed with worldly things.

Malachi delivered his message when the people of Israel were indifferent toward God.  The Isrealites doubted God’s love and failed to respond to it. Their apathy was demonstrated by their lack of giving.  In verse 10, God calls His people to fetch the entire tenth of their provision into His treasury so there will be food in His temple, so He can bless them beyond measure.  Asking for the tithe is about more than worldly wealth.  God does not need our money, but desires our obedience.  Holding back this money, the Isealites were disobeying God's command.  Therefore, they missed out in God's blessing.  BE OBEDIENT.

Let's turn to Phillipians 4:19, "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." In writing to the church at Phillipi, Paul thanks them for their giving to his ministry.  Paul encourages them by saying that God shall pléroó (same root word as plethera) or amply supply your need according to His ploútos, much in number, quantity, abundance of possessions of many riches in infinite, intrinsic worth, glorious splendor having weight, value in the realm (sphere) of Christ Jesus. God will reward them for their generosity, not simply giving them back what they’ve given, but blessing them based on the abundant riches of Christ. Generosity enables us to trust the Lord for our needs, instead of selfishly holding onto our money and trusting that it will meet our needs. BE GENEROUS.

In Matthew 7:7, we turn to listen to Jesus' "Sermon on the Mount."  In this portion, Jesus tells us to continually, with every breath ask (petition, make or present a formal request to an authority with respect) God, and it (what you have asked for as part of God's plan) will be given (granted, offered) to you; continually, with every breath seek (inquire, investigate until found), and you will find (what you seek); continually knock, with every breath (request admittance), and it (admittance to God) will be opened to you.  God cares for us, but this is not a calling for luxurious, opulent living for every desire of the heart.  God will provide what we need as part of His plan, to advance His kingdom.  Jesus is inviting us to trust our heavenly Father to look after us.

In John 15:16, Jesus says "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you."  1 John 5:14 - 15 , "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." HAVE FAITH.

Having faith in God for your needs is demonstrated by your obedient generosity to His work.  How much you give is related to how much faith and obedience you have.  Do not give out of guilt or a prosperity gospel.  Give because of what has been given to you.  Christ died for your sins.  He took our penalty, because the judgement for sin is death and eternal separation from God.  All He asks is that we believe in Him, that we repent-turn away from our sin, and obey His commandments.

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

God doesn't need your money.  Don't be upset how it is spent. That is not your job.  Demonstrate your faith and obey, so His kingdom will be advanced.  "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9