What is the Straightened Way? Part 3

In this part of the sermon: He reviews the inseparability and irreversibility of the narrow gate, the restricted way, and eternal life from Matthew 7:13-14. Martin also reiterates the frightening alternative…

The wide gate is described as the 'gate of cheap religion' or 'pseudo-conversion,' illustrating a superficial faith without true repentance or dealing with sin, which leads to destruction.

No pressure. But Jesus says it leads to destruction. It's the gate of cheap religion. It's the gate of pseudo-conversion.

9:49 - 10:03 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin introduces the second major aspect of the straightened way: living in a pattern of choosing to deny ourselves to please Christ and serve others. He clarifies 'living in the…

David's sin with Bathsheba is used as an example of a lapse into self-will that contradicted the overall pattern of his life, clarifying that the 'pattern' of the restricted way does not mean uninterrupted perfection.

uninterrupted consistency not marked by even occasional the absence of occasional lapses lapses into blatant expressions of self-will. When David the man after God's own heart looked upon Bathsheba and lusted and took her and lay with her and committed murder by proxy he was acting in self-will and self-serving but that was not the pattern of his life. It was a tragic and real contradiction of the overall pattern. So, in describing the narrow

24:00 - 24:45 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not shut the windows of your mind and heart to the challenging truths of the gate and way; face the possibility of being damned.

Martin shares a note from a young couple who found the sermon series helpful for self-examination and renewal of love for Christ, illustrating the positive impact of the message on genuine believers.

And here may I pause to urge you please if you've already shut the windows of your mind and your heart saying I've had enough of this gate and this way business in God's name pretend to that attitude. The person most likely to be damned is the one who refuses to face the fact that he may be damned.

27:55 - 28:24 Read in full sermon

Driving home: I didn't write it I didn't say it Jesus did as surely as he affirms I cannot procure redemption unless I die you it's about redemption unless you die

Paul's escape from a plot against his life by being let down over a wall in a basket is used to clarify that 'hating one's life' does not mean neglecting self-preservation but rather repudiating self-pleasing and self-serving.

he that loves his life loses it and he that hates his life in this world shall be and shall keep it unto life eternal if any man serve me let him follow me and where I am there shall also my servant be if any man serve me him will the Father honor now the context of these words is Jesus' declaration under the figure of a grain of wheat that must first of all die before the world can bear fruit that he must procure the salvation

32:15 - 32:59 Read in full sermon

Driving home: No man can serve two masters self is such a master Christ is such a master that they cannot both be served as supreme sovereigns at the same time it is impossible

Jesus' troubled soul and prayer in anticipation of the cross (Gethsemane overtones) are presented as the supreme example of denying one's holy desires for the Father's will and glory, even without sinful self to deny.

keep that life which is life indeed even unrighteous unto life eternal and then as a clear example of the principle look at the next verses now is my soul troubled and what shall I say Jesus faces something that is very displeasing to him and it was a sense of holy displeasure this is a passage that has overtones of Gethsemane he is anticipating what awaits him now is my soul troubled and what shall I say the will of my father is going to lead me into that which goes contrary

38:10 - 38:54 Read in full sermon

Driving home: There is no middle ground you are either living unto yourself or unto him and crumbs you see not in the many areas we are doing what you would like to do and desire to do and doing what God says sort of naturally line up…

The analogy of a hungry teenager eagerly coming to the table versus a teenager hating to cut the grass illustrates that true submission to parents (or Christ) is evident when one's will conflicts with a command, not when they naturally align.

well you see if you are living unto the Lord you can't be living unto yourself because the two are mutually exclusive as a pattern of life he died Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5 in the parallel passage he died for all that they who live should no longer henceforth live unto themselves but unto him who for their sakes died and rose again there is no middle ground you are either living unto yourself or unto him and crumbs you see not in the many areas we are doing what you would like to do and desire to do and doing what God says sort of naturally line up with one another

47:04 - 47:48 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He examines Philippians 1:20-25, highlighting Paul's ultimate passion for Christ to be magnified in his body, whether by life or death. Paul's choice to remain for the…

Martin imagines a modern media interview with the Apostle Paul, where Paul's simple philosophy 'to me to live is Christ' confounds intellectual journalists, illustrating the singular focus of a life permeated by Christ's Lordship.

Christ is the great passion of my life I can just imagine that I was speaking to Pastor Blaze a week or so ago about this if this were transposed into 1994 and people in the media had heard about this guy the Apostle Paul who once had been a great hater of the church and now was its greatest evangelist and church planter and they arranged the various TV crews from NBC and CBS and ABC and they're going to have an interview to find out what makes this man tick and so they send those on their staff that are known to be the intellectual who are conversant in the great philosophical

53:41 - 54:25 Read in full sermon

The point: Have the Spirit-wrought moral courage to say no to remaining sin's demands, sometimes a thousand times a day, especially regarding spiritual disciplines like prayer and Bible reading.

Remaining sin in believers is likened to an 'overindulged, spoiled brat' whose whims and desires demand immediate gratification, explaining why self-denial is a constant struggle and makes the way restricted.

that is we coined a word several weeks ago fleboized pressured difficult compressed why should it be well for the first reason is because remaining sin in us in the choices of saints has the disposition of an overindulged sin what's an overindulged spoiled brat remaining sin in the best of saints has the disposition of an overindulged what's an overindulged spoiled brat that's the little kid whose whims and moods and desires are lord of the house everything

61:02 - 61:46 Read in full sermon

The point: Have the Spirit-wrought moral courage to say no to remaining sin's demands, sometimes a thousand times a day, especially regarding spiritual disciplines like prayer and Bible reading.

The song 'Enjoy yourself, it's later than you think' is quoted as an example of the world's self-pleasing ethos, contrasting it with the Christian call to deny self and live for Christ.

as a pattern of life until you get to heaven second reason is this the reigning principle of this world system which would squeeze us into its mold is please yourself for all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life please yourself back in the 50s there was a song enjoy yourself it's later than you think i tried to get the rest of the words my wife could only remember the first line as i could enjoy yourself it's later than you think

63:54 - 64:30 Read in full sermon