The King's Church in Ilford
How To Find Life
Reading: Matthew 7:13-14
Some of us find it difficult to make decisions. One young lady called Janet found that her difficulty in making even the simplest of decisions was causing her problems at work. Finally she decided to seek professional help. "Tell me, Janet," said the psychologist, "I understand you are having trouble making decisions." Janet's brow furrowed. "Well," she said, "Yes....and no." Others make decisions without thinking them through properly. There were three people hanging on a rope from a helicopter. There were two men and one woman. They all decided that one of them needed to get off, because if they did not, the rope would break and they would all die. No-one could decide which should go. So finally the woman gave a really touching speech, saying how she would give up her life to save the others, because women were used to giving up things for their husbands and children, and not receiving anything in return. When she finished both men clapped!
Jesus has been telling us how to find life in what has become known as The Sermon On The Mount. "Now," He says, "it's decision time." You've got to choose. But I'm going to make it real easy for you. There are two choices only: The Broad Way, which is easy to follow, but which leads to death and destruction. Or the Narrow Way, which is not easy to find or follow; but it leads to life. The point is this: there's no middle ground. If you're not on the Narrow Way, you're already on the Broad Way, so deciding not to decide is to choose to stay on the Broad Way.
This Broad Way seems very attractive to start with. It's roomy, spacious, and there are no boundaries. You can do what you like - just don't get caught! You don't have to give anything up. You can be proud and angry; you can hate your enemy and be full of lust and greed. The problem with the Broad Way, of course, is that people get hurt. The pursuit of my pleasure means someone else's displeasure - or worse. Loud music late at night is a pain for your neighbours. As we've been hearing this last week, one person's human rights to a family life, conflicts with another's right to live in peace and without fear.
The Narrow Way is more restricted, and there are indeed boundaries. Humility and love for others is its hallmark. It is a road where there is no place for unrighteous anger, or lust, retaliation or hatred. It is a road of purity, honesty and forgiveness; a road where we are must learn to treat others as we would like them to treat us. It is certainly a difficult road to follow. Indeed it would be impossible unless we had the power of the Holy Spirit within us to change our hearts and attitudes.
These two roads are going in totally opposite directions. The book of Proverbs speaks of there being a "way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is death." (Prov 14:12). This Broad Way looks right. It looks good. There's an awful lot of people on it, but that doesn't make it right. It's a road devoid of God for a start, and as I quoted last week, if you're going to live as if God doesn't exist - you'd better be right! It's a hell of a risk to take! Jesus warned us that it leads to destruction.
- Destruction comes at many levels. Sin turns a good-natured person into an embittered soul. Sin stamps its mark on our faces. Sometimes I look at people and see such hardness and bitterness is their faces. Few started out like that. At some point, we've been hurt and refused to forgive, and, like a weed, we've nurtured that offence, let the dream of revenge fester in our souls until that weed's become a jungle, and it's taken us over, and we've become slaves to bitterness.
- Drugs and alcohol are more obvious in their destruction. They promise life - that's the lie!
- Free sex - that's another lie that promises much and delivers little but broken marriages, unwanted children, desease, and so much emotional pain.
And that's destruction of any quality of life this side of the grave. If we don't want to know God in this life, He's not going to force Himself on us in the next. So you'll find yourself in a place of total emptiness, like a hot and arid desert, no water, no food, - emptiness. Everything good that we have valued in this life - gone - because all that came from God, and chosen to live on earth without Him, that decision carried over into eternity - Now instead, we are surrounded by everything evil. That's Hell, and that's where the Broad Way leads.
But the Narrow Way leads to life. Again there are different levels of life. Sin frequently destroys our health, and it's not until we encounter long-term illness that we realise what a precious commodity our health is. But Jesus is talking of more than that here. He is talking about a quality of life on this earth which is a foretaste of life to come in eternity. The hallmarks of this life are unselfish love, inner peace and joy that sustain us in spite of outward circumstances; kindness to one another, forgiveness, acceptance, generosity, patience. There is a sense of purpose to our lives, a feeling of belonging.
One of my favourite stories that illustrates this quality of life concerns a young girl from a poor background, struggling to make it as a concert pianist in the 19th century. She put on this concert, advertising herself as a pupil of Franz Liszt, the famous pianist and composer. The posters were all round town, and the adverts in the papers when, to her horror, she heard that Franz Liszt was going to be in her town at the time of her concert, and she would be found out! In fear and trembling she went to see the virtuoso pianist, and with much weeping, confessed to him what she'd done. He listened carefully and finally responded by saying, "My dear, what you have done is very wrong, but I think you are genuinely sorry for it. So let me hear you play something. So she sat at the piano in his apartment, and rather nervously at first, started to play, growing in confidence as she got into it. After a while he stopped her, and made some suggestions that would help her. Finally, he said, "Well my dear, I think you will do very well, and now you can truly say that you a pupil of Franz Liszt. So when you put the programmes out, why don't you announce that the final piece will be played by the Master himself!
That story summarises the gospel for me, and the way onto the Narrow Road. It took courage to go and confess her sin to Liszt, and humility to be genuinely sorry. He didn't have to respond as he did. He could have disgraced her publicly. He could have said, "I forgive you, but you'll have to tell people what you've done." But he didn't either - he went way beyond what was required of him, and that was grace. Grace gives us what we don't deserve.
For us, Jesus is the Master, and as we come to Him - Jesus Christ, confessing our sins, and sincerely wanting to change, He doesn't treat us as our sins deserve, He doesn't humiliate us. Rather He shows us mercy and forgives us. Not only this, but with amazing grace gives us His life, promising to be our Teacher and Companion on the Narrow Way.
This is the Way that Maria and Lee have chosen. It's not going to be easy, but they look and sound pretty good on it, because they've found life. Some of you here still have that choice to make. Let me urge you not to put it off. If you want to find out more, then sign up for the Alpha Course starting in a few week's time. Just remember, if you do put it off, you've already made your choice. You're already on the Broad Way. Let me urge you to get off it before it's too late.
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Psalm 19:1