The Narrow Road

1. The Narrow Road "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

2. The World offers many ways… …but the World’s way leads to death.

3. So, Which Way do we Choose to Take? The World’s way, or God’s Way? © 2000-2006 Ain Vares.

4. Friend with World = Enemy of God • “… do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” James 4:4

5. Whose friends are we? • Are we friends of the World, or friends of God?

6. We need to test ourselves • Testyourselves {to see} if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! 2 Corinthians 13:5

7. How??? • With what do we test ourselves?

8. Tests Even in human testing, we need an objective standard!

9. Feelings Objective Enough? • Can’t go by our feelings, or our heart: Popular Song lyrics: “How can it be wrong if it feels so right?”

10. NO! • Hearts are deceptively wicked - "The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9

11. We Must Test Ourselves By the Word "Sanctify them in the truth; Your wordistruth.” John 17:17

12. Doers of the Word, not Merely Hearers • But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. James 1

13. Yeshua, the Word Made Flesh John 1 • 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God… 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

14. Yeshua, the Embodiment of Torah • If a believer wants to know how to “walk out” Torah, then look to the Word made flesh: Yeshua.

15. One Way Yeshua said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” John 14:6

16. “Church” was Once Called “The Way” • About that time there occurred no small disturbance concerning theWay. Acts 19:23 • "I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons” Acts 22:4

17. Acts 24:14 • "But this I admit to you, that according to theWay which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets”

18. Acts 24:22 • “But Felix, having a more exact knowledge about theWay, put them off, saying, "When Lysias the commander comes down, I will decide your case."

19. The Way - Hebrew: “ha Derekh” • In the Bible, the word translated path (orech) often is parallel with the word derekh, which means, “way, road or lifestyle” Teach me Your way (derekh), O LORD, And lead me in a level path (orech) Because of my foes. Psalm 27:11 Do not enter the path (orech) of the wicked And do not proceed in the way (derekh) of evil men. Proverbs 4:14

20. Orechot Adonai (Paths of the Lord)Isaiah 2:3 • And many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways (derekh) And that we may walk in His paths (orech)." For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

21. Isaiah 2 – Messianic in Orientation • Future Messianic Rule: “In the last days” verse 2 Yeshua will judge from Israel verse 4 5 “Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk (halakh) in the light of the LORD.”

22. How to Walk (halakh) the Way (derekh)… • The “Word made flesh” taught us how to walk out His ways.

23. We’re to Walk as He Walked • 3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: 6 the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. 1 John 2

24. So, How DO we Walk as Yeshua Walked?

25. Yeshua (the Way) Showed Us • In the power of the Spirit… And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. Luke 4:14

26. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. Galatians 5:16 Holy Spirit The Believer

27. Battle of Two Natures • Flesh vs. Spirit

28. Law of Sin and Death Flesh 21 I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in themembers of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Romans 7

29. 1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. Romans 8 Holy Spirit Flesh

30. Romans 8 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because themind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

31. Flesh vs. Spirit – Romans 8:6 • Flesh = Death For the mind set on the flesh is death, • Spirit = Life but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace

32. Flesh – Hostile toward God 7 …because themind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. Romans 8

33. Old Indian story: Two wolves fighting An elderly Cherokee NativeAmerican was teaching his grandchildren about life... He said to them, "A fight isgoing on inside me, it is a terrible fight and it isbetween two wolves. One wolf is evil -- he is fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, competition, superiority, and ego. The other is good---he is joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith. This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too." They thought about it for a minute and then one child asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"

34. The one you feed! So, Which Nature Wins?

35. Feeding the Spirit • Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. Colossians 3:2 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8

36. “Feeding the Flesh” Anti- God’s Law “…because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able {to do so,} ”Romans 8:7

37. Mystery of lawlessness already at work… • 5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? 6 And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness (anomia) is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 2 Thessalonians 2

38. Where is this “Already at Work?” • In the World? NO! • This spirit has ALWAYS been at work in the World!

39. Shaul is talking about the “Church” • The mystery of lawlessness was now already at work in the Body of Messiah, but was being restrained! 6 And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed… 7only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 2 Thessalonians 2

40. That Restraint will one day be taken away • A Great Apostasy will occur • Man of lawlessness will be revealed

41. The Man of Lawlessness • 3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy (no faith) comes first, and the man of lawlessness (anomia) is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. 2 Thessalonians 2

42. Anti-Messiah against God’s Law • Not against man-made laws!

43. Spirit of Lawlessness (anomia) Strong's Number:  459 • destitute of (the Mosaic) law • of the Gentiles • departing from the law, a violator of the law, lawless, wicked

44. You’re Always Talking about “Law” What about Grace?

45. Mutually Exclusive? Law Grace 17For the law was given by Moses, butgrace and truth came by Jesus Christ. John 1 KJV

46. No word “but” in this Greek passage! 17For the law was given by Moses, butgrace and truth came by Jesus Christ. John 1 KJV For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. NASV

47. What difference does the word “but” have??? • “But” is a contrasting word! • “But” is a conjunction (like “and”) that connects together two words, phrases or clauses. It is also a contrasting word:

48. “But” • “John is a good boy and very obedient, but George is not.” • “Ice cream is good, but sherbet is better.” • Causes one to make a judgment call!

49. Inference from “but” in John 1:17? • For the law was given by Moses, butgrace and truth came by Jesus Christ. • Causes one to make a judgment call in contrasting values: law vs. grace!

50. Is there a contrast between Law & Grace in the Scriptures? • Do we have to make a judgment call here? • Is there something less about Law and more about grace?