The Narrow Door (Pt. 3)

Part 3 of 3

Salvation isn’t just about choosing the right door but staying on the right road. The highway to hell is broad, but he road to life is narrow. Receiving Jesus as our Lord and Savior gets us on the right path, but the journey doesn’t end there. Even the question we asked at the beginning of this series is flawed: “Is there more than one way to get to heaven?” The goal of salvation isn’t to make heaven, but to be reconciled with the Father. It isn’t about escaping the wickedness of this fallen world or reuniting with our loved ones.

“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.-Isaiah 59:2. 

Our sins had separated us from God. Our relationship with him was broken. Christ coming and dying on the cross was to reconcile us to God, not just secure us a reservation in heaven: 

 “18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.”-2 Corinthians 5:18 (NKJV) 

We’ve made salvation about reaching a desired destination, rather than the work of reconciliation. Although, I believe that heaven and hell are real places, we’ve somehow disassociated Heaven with being reconciled to God and Hell as being eternally separated from Him because of sin. That is why so many no longer see the need for repentance. They no longer see the need to live righteous and holy lives. It’s because they no longer see reconciling with God as necessary to make heaven: 

“12 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.”-Philippians 2:12. 

The Apostle Paul understood it. He declared that we need to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. He understood that the result of our salvation is more than securing a spot in heaven, but it’s demonstrated by our obedience to God. Living in obedience to God is not easy, that is why Jesus said that the road is difficult. We can’t claim a place in heaven while living in disobedience to Christ and His word here on earth. We must live out our reconciliation daily by living according to God’s Word.  Salvation is a daily decision to follow Christ. 

The question is not…Are you confident that if Christ came today that you’d make heaven?  No, the real question is…Are you confident that you are reconciled to God? Have you received Christ as your Lord and Savior. He is the Door! He is the only access to the Father. Some of you keep hanging around the door, but have never made that step of faith. I want to caution you that if you are banking on Jesus recognizing you and letting you in, you are going to miss your salvation. Remember Luke 13:25-28:

25 When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26 Then you will say, ‘But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 And he will reply, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you come from. Get away from me, all you who do evil.’ 28 “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for you will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, but you will be thrown out.-Luke 13:25-28

Some of you think Jesus is going to just let you in because you hung around church some, or you flirted with reading your Bible a little, or you posted a few memes about faith on your Facebook page. The scriptures say that they ate and drank with him. They confused their proximity to Jesus for intimacy with Jesus. In essence they were crying out, Jesus, don’t you recognize us? However, it isn’t about him recognizing you, it’s about Him knowing you. That only happens when we step though the door and commit to living a life of faith and obedience. 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

The Narrow Door (Pt.2)

One of the best ways to learn what a scripture means is to let scripture interpret scripture. In John 10:1-9, Jesus clearly defines what/or in this case who the door is that leads to the Kingdom of God:

 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them. Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”

Again, Jesus declares in John 14:6- “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. I am not sure why nearly 60% of Christians believe that there is more than one way to heaven. When, Jesus clearly taught that access to God was through Him alone. 

Perhaps, only few find it, because they fail to recognize that Christ alone is our only hope of salvation. Jesus calls those who try access the Kingdom of God, some other way, thieves and robbers. The door is narrow (not in size) but in scope. Jesus is the only door. There is only one way to enter and that is through Christ. 

We pride ourselves in this country as being inclusive, that is why the exclusiveness of salvation through Christ is so hard for us to embrace sometimes. We can’t fathom the idea of people we know and love spending eternity in hell, so we try and convince ourselves that perhaps God is more inclusive than He says He is. Or perhaps, He makes exceptions for good people or people who are truly genuine about their faith, although they reject Jesus as their savior. We do this because we cannot reconcile in our hearts and minds people’s choosing to reject Christ, knowing that the alternative is hell. 

The reason the door is narrow is because only one man laid down his life, took the penalty of our sin upon himself, taking our place on the cross. There is no accommodations for those who reject Jesus in the Kingdom of God. We do our friends and family an injustice when we even allude that there is possibly another way to heaven, apart from Jesus. 

“There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”-Acts 4:12 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

The Narrow Door (Pt.1)

(Part 1)

“13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.”-Matthew 7:13-14

I am a huge fan of the Sermon on the Mount. This collection of mini-sermons by Jesus, also known as the Beatitudes, are all amazing and life-changing. However, one of them is designed to settle a question that is still imposing itself on the minds of men still today. 

Is there more than one way to get to heaven? 

Surprisingly, nearly sixty percent of evangelical Christians have grown to believe that there is. Listen to this statement taken from a Time Magazine article from 2008 entitled: No one Path to Salvation:

“The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life last year surveyed 35,000 Americans, and found that 70% of respondents agreed with the statement "Many religions can lead to eternal life." Even more remarkable was the fact that 57% of Evangelical Christians were willing to accept that theirs might not be the only path to salvation, since most Christians historically have embraced the words of Jesus, in the Gospel of John, that "no one comes to the Father except through me.”

However, Jesus could not have made himself any clearer here in Matthew 7:13-14. 

First, Jesus affirmed the existence of two eternal destinations: heaven and hell. Everyone reading this column is going to end up in one of those two places.

Second, He affirmed that each of us choose the road we wish to travel. God doesn’t assign anyone to heaven or to hell. We each choose which path we will take. 

Lastly, Jesus describes each of these paths for us: The one that leads to the Kingdom of God has a narrow gate, is difficult to travel, and few find it. The one that leads to hell has a wide gate, a broad road, and is chosen by many. 

Let’s talk about the narrow gate. Jesus, while teaching another large crowd of people, doubled down on this point:

22 Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he went, always pressing on toward Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” He replied, 24 “Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail.”-Luke 13:22-24

What is this narrow door that Jesus is talking about and why will only a few enter it? 

Scott Burr 

Dayspring Community Church 

Soil Searching (Pt 3)

Part 3

“Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful”-Mark 4:18-19

 

Other seed was sown and fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so they did not bear grain. This soil is reflective of those who receive the word, but receive it into a field where they have allowed other things to be planted. Things like the worries of life, deceitfulness of wealth and the desire for other things. Soon these take root alongside of God’s Word. Each of these dilute and distract us from the harvest God intends for us to reap as the Word gets over taken by the weeds.  

 

I am reminded of a parable that Jesus told about wheat and tares. A farmer planted seed and when it began to spring up there were tares found among the wheat. The servants asked, “Didn’t you plant good seed” He said, yes, this is the work of my enemy.” They enemy had sown bad seed among the good seed. 

 

You better be careful who you allow to sow in your field. God sows good seed. Everything else is a tare. Why is bad seed called a tare, because it will ‘tare’ your life apart. It will literally choke out the good seed sown in your life. According to the passage, you will grow but you will be unfruitful. Meaning that you may grow, but you won’t mature. The harvest God had housed in that seed for you will be choked out and you won’t experience the full harvest stored in that seed. There is, however, one other kind of soil:

 

 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop – some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.’”-Mark 4:20

 

Jesus makes it clear, how we ought to receive God’s word each time we are exposed to it. Hear it. Receive it. Apply it. The harvest will vary, some 30, 60, 100 fold. It doesn’t appear that we have control over the amount of harvest, just whether or not we will have one. It doesn’t say anything about what steps need to be taken to get a 30 or a 60 or 100; instead it focuses on what type of soil will rob you of the potential harvest found in every seed; even today.

 

There is a harvest in the word that you are receiving today! Some will reap a harvest from it, some will not. Some of you need to plow up  some fallowed ground. You’ve been hurt and walked on. Your heart is hard toward God and His word. You need to plow up it up. You need to repent and turn back to God. He will take that heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. A heart that can receive His word. 

 

Others need to let the word of God take root in your life. You receive it with joy, but you don’t let it take root. Your field is shallow because God’s Word isn’t the authority in your life. When trouble comes you abandon the word. 

 

Still others, need to do stop letting the enemy sow seed in your field. Seeds of worry, hunger for wealth, and the desire for other things. It’s choking out your harvest. 

 

If you are only picking up your Bible on Sunday or barely touching it during the week; your heart has either become hard, your soil is shallow or you’re allowing the cares of this life to choke the word out. 

Each day that we brush aside the word of God, we are brushing off the harvest He has in store for us. 

 

It’s time to do some soil searching today! 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

Soil Searching (Pt.2)

Part 2

“Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that sown in them.”-Mark 4:15

 A well worn path, one that has been well traveled, compacted, and pressed down, isn’t very receptive to receiving seed.  People have walked all over it and it has become hard. When seed lands on it, it doesn’t go down into the soil, it lays on top and becomes susceptible to being eaten by the birds. 

The hard soil reflects the hardness of some people’s hearts towards God Word. These are, often, the hardest people to reach for Christ. They don’t value God’s Word, so they don’t protect it. In fact, many have hardened their hearts against it. They refuse to receive it and so Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown. 

Yet, even though, the path is hard, the farmer in his grace still sows seed on it. We have a God that is not willing that any should perish. He sows seed on even the hardest ground, because he knows the power housed within each seed has the potential change people’s lives.Let me ask you something, if the Word of God doesn’t have the potential to change people’s lives, why would Satan bother to come and steal it from us. Satan understands the potential housed in that seed and doesn’t want to take the risk of you deciding to receive it and experience the harvest within. 

We also learn from Mark 4:5 that some of the seed fell on rocky places where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow, but when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they fall quickly fall away. Jesus explain it this way:

“Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.-Mark 4:16-17

Those whose seed is sown on the rocky ground are those that receive the seed with joy and begin to experience some growth. Unfortunately, however, they never experience the full potential of that seed, because they fall away when they realize that it isn’t popular or easy to live according to God’s Word. When trouble or persecution comes, because of it, they quickly fall away. Their hearts are shallow. They don’t allow the Word of God to truly take root in them. They have an appreciation for God’s Word, but don’t see it as an authoritative rule of faith for their lives. 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

Soil Searching (Pt.1)

(Part 1) 

“13 Then Jesus said to them, ‘Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop – some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.’-Mark 4:13-20

Romans 10:17 tells us that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Our faith is directly impacted by what we do with God’s Word. Our passion for or our indifference towards God’s Word determines whether we will live faith-filled lives or faithless lives. If you grow and how quickly you grow in your faith is directly tied to this passage. Jesus said if you don’t understand this parable, how will you understand any of them.

Some of you reading this column need to do some soil searching. Did you notice my little play on words? It sounds like soul searching and in a way it is. Soul searching is an honest evaluation of your feelings and motives. Soil searching is an honest evaluation of how you prepare for and receive God’s Word in your life. So let’s look at the parable:

“ The farmer sows the word.”-Mark 4:14 

This passage could not be any clearer. The seed that is being sown is the Word of God. Here are a few observations that I made about the seed. First, the farmer knows that there is no harvest if the seed isn’t sown. So, he is diligent to make certain that the seed gets scattered. In fact, the one constant in this passage is the seed. 

Secondly, all the soils are all different, but they all received the same seed. Do you know what is so amazing about that? 

God’s Word (seed) always has a harvest in it. Every time we read God’s Word or listen to a message; the Word that comes to us already has a potential harvest inside of it.  So if you are not reaping a harvest of faith in your life, what we will learn over the next few couple of weeks is this: It’s never a problem with the seed that God is sowing. God’s seed is never the issue, it's a soil problem. 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

Prison Letters: Learning contentment in the midst of crisis (Pt.2)

( Part 2)

 “6 Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. 7 After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. 8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. 9 But people who long to be rich (not satisfied) fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.”-1 Timothy 6:6-10

In Paul’s letter to his spiritual son Timothy, Paul echoed the same sentiment about contentment that we read in Philippians 4. True biblical contentment cannot be separated from our relationship and trust in God. It is that relationship that makes us rich beyond measure. That is how Paul learned to be content. He prioritized the value of His relationship with Christ. Sometimes he had more. Sometimes he had less, but he always had Christ.  

 Although, we all ought to learn what it means to be content. We should not let that curb our generosity. 

4 Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty.15 As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. 16 Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once. 17 I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness. 18 At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”-Philippians 4:14-19

Although contentment is what we practice in our own hearts, generosity is what we should practice towards others. Paul recognized that God rewards kindness and generosity towards others. Rather than adopt a “People should just be content with what they have” attitude, we should embrace a “Let’s sow seeds to meet needs” mentality. 

Our giving isn’t going to make anyone more or less content. If Christ isn’t their source, then having more could be more crippling than not having anything. 

Generosity is rooted in being content with what we have been given and trusting that as we are generous in helping others, He will continuously be our source. 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church