Payback

Please open your Bibles to Matthew chapter 7. Matthew chapter 7 verse 13. Matthew 7 verse 13. We'll just stay there. I just want to read this passage.

My lesson is based off this passage this morning. Jesus here is speaking and he says, enter by the narrow gate: for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction: and many are those who enter by it. For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life: and few are those who find it. You know, in these short verses Jesus reveals to his disciples and to his would be disciples some of the hard realities of Christianity. They're kind of like a wake up call to the Christian life.

And some of these hard realities contained in this verse, or in these two verses, are the following. 1st, Jesus says there are only 2 choices that a person can make in life. He says there's the wide way and there's the narrow way. There's no medium. Have you got something in a medium?

There's no medium. It's narrow or wide. The idea that all roads lead to heaven or that we each have to find our own way to relate to God, according to Jesus, is not true. Jesus says that you go to heaven through him or you don't go at all. That's a hard reality of Christianity.

Secondly, in this verse he says, of the two ways one is easy and one is difficult. Again, there's no medium. He says in advance that the way to heaven through him is difficult and the way to destruction is easy and it's pleasant. It's even nice. And then thirdly, he says, there are only a few who choose the narrow and difficult way to heaven.

But there are a lot of people going the other direction. Even though it's the right way and the reward is great, Jesus says, not a lot of people find it, let alone are willing to travel the entire distance. Of course, Jesus was saying this in order to prepare eager disciples who were anxious to become Christians. Man, let's get it on. Christianity, the Messiah is here.

Let's do it. Let's go for it. And he used the imagery of the wide and the narrow road to warn them of the difficulties that lay ahead for those who would confess the name of Jesus Christ and begin their lifelong walk with him through this life into the next life. Now some of the difficulties he mentioned in earlier sermons that Matthew records, he mentions here, but in a different way. In this lesson, or in a lesson that Jesus previously said, he warned them that this narrow road would require certain things of them.

It wasn't easy, it was narrow for certain reasons. For example, he said that the narrow road would require a change in character to include mercy, and purity, and gentleness, and righteousness, and a yearning for peace, and the salvation of other people. The narrow road requires that. That's why it's not easy. He said, the narrow road would require holding oneself to a higher standard of conduct, and a higher standard of attitude in the areas of social relationships, and marital fidelity, and religious practice, and a detachment from the world and its cares.

Christianity is not easy because it requires a higher standard. Remember when my children were younger, they'd say, Why do we have to do that? Those people don't have to do that. Why do we have to do that? Why do we have to always go an extra step?

And I'd say, Well, because we're Christians. That's why. Christianity requires a higher standard. It's not easy. We can't watch all the TV shows, we can't read all the books, we can't go to all the movies, we can't listen to all the records, we can't see all the live performances.

We can't do all the things that everybody else does because our faith requires a higher standard. We're narrow, we're wedged in. Jesus said that the narrow way also demanded a complete trust and dependence on God for everything. Now, these things might be great ideals that were worth striving for from time to time. You know, higher standard, morality, and all trusting God.

Kind of nice things to go for every once in a while. But Jesus tells His disciples that these things were not just, you know, ideals, these things were not just once in a while things, they were an actual lifestyle for those who had chosen the narrow way. It's like an everyday thing. That you don't lie is an everyday thing, not just when it suits you. You tell the truth when you're squeezed and when it's easy.

That's what Christianity demands. Those who had found the door, those who had entered into the way found that that way was narrow indeed. Now, the way is very narrow because all the things Jesus mentioned are unnatural. They're just not natural for us as sinful people. The entire Christian lifestyle is one that needs to be learned and practiced in order to become part of a person's habits.

I mean, you don't just naturally act like a Christian. It's something you have to cultivate. Now, the broad way, the broad way is easy. The broad way has a lot of people on it, Jesus said, because it requires no change. The Broadway doesn't require any sacrifice.

The Broadway doesn't ask you to limit yourself, or deny yourself, or deny your essential character. As a matter of fact, the broad way encourages one to be who and what you are. Listen to your heart. That's the message of the broad way. Listen to your heart and be all that you can be.

That's the essential you. Go with the flow. That's the message of the broad way. The broad way is where you find out who you are, and you simply develop and enjoy who you are without restrictions. That's the broad way.

The narrow way, on the other hand, is painful. It's a painful makeover. You know, we talk about makeovers on TV all the time. The narrow way is a very painful makeover to a new you, a you designed in the image of Jesus Christ and trained to serve him exclusively. That's the narrow way.

Now, I've said all of this to say this, one of the most difficult aspects of the narrow way, aside from fidelity and high standards and all this kind of stuff, one of the most narrow, difficult things of the narrow way has to do with the treatment of one's enemies. Man, that's where the road really gets narrow. Jesus warns his disciples that the choice of the narrow way will bring them into persecution. And their response to persecution will not be the usual response to threats or ridicule or even death. You see, on the Broadway, the Broadway fights fire with fire.

The Broadway demands apologies and compensation. You're gonna pay if you hurt me. The Broadway says, The Broadway requires protection from all those who would, attack or undermine your lifestyle. The broad way requires payback. Payback is part and parcel of the broad way doing of things.

You see, what makes the narrow way truly narrow, in my opinion, is what Jesus sets forth as the Christian's response to persecution in any of its forms. Persecution can be anything. Anything from undeserved, rudeness or unkindness, all the way to martyrdom for your faith. And everything in between. Somebody who's not nice to you to somebody who kills you for your faith.

That's persecution. Now, Jesus says that a Christian's response to these things, if you're along the narrow way, the way you respond to these things are the following. He says, Hey, you're persecuted, rejoice for the privilege of suffering in the name of Jesus Christ. Matthew 5 verse 11 or 12. You're offended?

Hey, forgive the offense. Matthew 6 verse 12. Somebody is mean to you and cheats you? Hey, love and pray for those who persecute you. Matthew 5 verse 44.

Someone does you wrong, hey, don't take revenge on your enemies. Romans chapter 12 verse 9, and help and encourage your enemies. Romans 12 verse 20. Now, working on my character, you know, being faithful to my wife and being trusting in God and worshiping the Lord and having a high you know, working on my character. These things I understand.

These things are almost within reach. But when it comes to how I treat those who treat me badly, when it comes to how I treat those who persecute me for no reason, when it comes to those who deserve payback, I mean, who deserve payback, the narrow road gets just a little too narrow. You know what I'm saying? It's just a little too tight according to what Jesus demands of me as a Christian, and how I treat my enemies. Of all the obstacles on the narrow road, of all the restrictions of the Christian life, I believe that the demands that Jesus makes concerning the treatment of our enemies are the hardest ones to bear.

I ask you, have you tried rejoicing because someone has humiliated you lately? Have you tried doing that? Oh, I feel great. Somebody just made a fool of me in front of my family. Oh, boy, I feel wonderful now.

Have you tried that? Have you succeeded in forgiving the one who has caused you pain and did it on purpose? You know, have you gone through a nasty divorce and that other person has really stuck it to you on purpose to make you suffer and squirm? Have you succeeded in forgiving that person? And when was the last time you made a fervent prayer on behalf of someone that you are afraid of?

Or someone that you despise? When was the last time you were on your knees for that person? And have you been able to avoid some sort of payback, even just a little gig? Have you been able to avoid that? And when was the last time you sent a card of encouragement to the person who let you down?

To the person who caused your world to turn upside down? When was the last time you sent that person a nice Hallmark card of encouragement? Thinking of you, you rat. You know? And when was the last time you did that?

I mean, omitting the rat part. Do you know what I mean? Jesus, in all seriousness, Jesus says, If we have not done these things that I've just said, then we are stuck in a stretch of the narrow road that's just too narrow for our hatred, too narrow for our pride, too narrow to bear our desire for revenge. I'll tell you something, if that's where you're at this morning, if that's what you're experiencing, I'd like to provide some of the reasons for the Lord's demands concerning our reaction to our enemies. Maybe if we know why the road is so narrow in this way, it'll help us to get through this stretch and continue on our way.

And so the rest of the lesson is why the narrow road is so narrow. Well, one of the reasons that it's so narrow is this, the road is narrow because God wants us to leave certain things behind. You know, there's a weight limit on a plane, you can't take on more than certain weight. Well, the narrow road gets narrow because you can't bring certain baggage with you. You either stay stuck where you are, or you leave the bags behind and you move forward without them.

In Revelation chapter 21 verse 4, John describes heaven. We just did that this morning in our class. He describes Heaven as a place where there are no tears and there's no pain. You know why? There's no tears and there's no pain because there's no sin.

Sin is what causes tears and pain. There's no hatred in heaven, there's no violence in heaven, there's no revenge, there's no death in heaven because there's no sin there. Payback is a form of revenge and hatred, and those who wish to be with God will not be able to squeeze through the narrow way with this kind of baggage. That's why it's narrow. It's forcing you to leave certain things behind if you're going to go forward.

Secondly, we need to remember that just because the narrow way limits the Christian, it doesn't mean that God is limited. 1 of the old testament prophets, Nahum, in chapter 1 verse 2 says, A jealous and avenging God is the Lord. And Paul quotes the Old Testament when he says of God in Romans chapter 12 verse 19, vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. Those who are offended, or rather those who offend, and those who attack, and those who persecute Christians usually do so not realizing the terrible consequences of their actions. Some people think because Christians don't respond with violence, because Christians don't seek payback, that their actions are justified and without consequence.

They think that Christians are an easy mark. I can step over these guys. They don't, you know, hey, they're powder puffs. They don't understand. There will be payback.

There will be payback. But God simply wants to be the one to do it So that payback will be perfectly justified and completely carried out. There won't be anybody who gets off on a technicality. No fancy lawyers in heaven. God will know everything and he will judge perfectly.

Thirdly, when we follow the narrow way in dealing with our enemies and those who hurt us, What we're really doing is we're allowing God to work in our lives. That's why the narrow road is narrow. God wants to accomplish something in our lives. When we take matters into our own hands, it feels good for a while then it sure it does. I mean, there's nothing sweeter than revenge.

Yes. Oh, man, that sucker. Now he knows. But we don't realize that many times when we do that we frustrate the good that God might have accomplished on our behalf. For example, God's reconstruction of our soul moves ahead when we follow the narrow rope.

You know, as Christians, we're born again. We become new creatures in Christ. But this process of being a new creature in Christ takes time as we respond to the Holy Spirit. As we, you know, submit to God's word. As we follow the narrow way.

Suffering, self control, overcoming hatred and anger, forgiving our enemies, loving our enemies. All these things are ways that God accomplishes certain spiritual goals in our lives. These negative experiences produce patience and hope and trust in our God. Payback never accomplishes anything other than resentment and the escalation of the hatred. I You know, you look over there in Bosnia, you look over there in Africa, this tribe goes over and kills a bunch of people.

Well, this tribe goes over there and kills a bunch of their people. Oh yeah, well we're going to go back and kill some of your people. And it goes on and on and on. And you know, that's why some of the foreign policy experts say, You know, we ought to not go over there. I'm no political genius, you know, but these people have got to stop killing each other.

And the only way they're going to do it is not through, you know, foreign policy, you know, involvement. The only way that it's going to happen is one side is going to say, Okay. I forgive you for having done that to us last time. The war is over. You see?

That's that's how wars end. One side says, Okay. I forgive you. And then the war is over. When we follow the narrow way, we allow God to build us up in the spirit, and we also allow the end of our personal war.

Now another way that the narrow road serves us, as I was saying, you know, allows God to work in us, God's purpose, not only for us is worked out, but God's purpose for our enemies is accomplished when we follow the narrow way. God has a plan for us but he also has a plan for our enemy. You see payback gives a victory to Satan, not to God. In the scripture I mentioned before the prophet Nahum spoke of Assyria, a country to the north of Israel. Assyria's eventual fall because it had attacked Israel a 100 years ago.

Nahum is talking about something that happened a 100 years before this country had come and attacked and violated Israel. A 100 years went by and Nahum says, Okay, now God is going to deal with this country. God is going to deal with Assyria. God waited until the right time, until the nation's cup was full with their sins, until they had used up every chance to repent. When every chance to repent was finally used up, then God lowered the boom.

But only He knew, only He knew when that time was. Sometimes our improper response interferes with God's perfect plan and perfect justice for our enemies. After all, who's in a better position to judge and pay back than God who knows all and sees all and who is completely impartial? And then thirdly, another way that the narrow road serves us, God's word is fulfilled when we follow his way. You see, from start to finish, God's word promises protection and justice for His people.

And to take matters into our own hands is to say to our enemy, I don't trust my God. I'm going to step right in here and just take care of business all by myself. When we take matters into our own hands, we say that to our enemy and we say that to our God. I don't trust you. I will take care of it.

Never mind. Never you mind. I will take care of it. We're saying that we don't trust our God. We don't have faith when we take matters into our own hands.

If God says He's going to do it, then waiting for Him to do it is our witness of faith, not only to our enemies, but to the world and to God himself. And that's so amazing. We want God to work in our lives in providing, Oh dear God, thank you for this food. And we want God, Oh God, please we need a new house. And, Oh God, I need a new job.

And I need an opportunity to go to college. And yada yada yada. You know, we keep we keep praying all these. We want God to intervene in our lives. But so many times we don't allow him to intervene in the lives of our enemies.

Is the God who provides your food and your health unable to do something in behalf of your enemies? Is he that weak? Is his arm so short he can't reach into the lives of your enemies too? The narrow way requires us to desire God's intervention, not only in the lives of our families, and our loved ones, and our friends, but our faith must also rely on his work in the lives of our enemies and those who hurt us as well. Well, the door is hard to find, as I mentioned, and the way is narrow and the number of people who choose it are few.

That's true. And that's because there's no room on the narrow way for unbelief. There's no room for unbelief. There's no room for immorality. There's no room for pride or worldliness.

You know, it gets narrower and narrower. You have to keep bailing stuff out all the time. It's so interesting, the Christian walk. You walk it along at first, it's great. Then all of a sudden, Whoops, I can't get all this stuff in.

So you start bailing, you're more arousing. Give up smoking. Give up this. Give up running around. Whoops.

It's too Well, what do I gotta get? Oh, pride. Okay. Pride goes out, you know. And it just keeps getting narrow and, you know, you just can't bring all your stuff with you.

You know, you got all this stuff you want to bring and you can't bring it. It's not narrow right away. It kind of gets narrow. You know what I'm saying? And I think one of the narrowest points in the road is when you finally got to give up hate and the desire for revenge.

You're almost naked by the time you get there. I ask you this morning, are you feeling a little cramped because your desire for payback is slowing you down along the narrow way of Christ? My encouragement to you is let it go. Let it go because you cannot finish the journey and enjoy payback at the same time. It can't be done.

A good way of doing this is to simply put the situation and put that person into the hands of the Lord through prayer, and trust God to work in your life as well as their lives. If you're having trouble with this this morning, we encourage you to come forward if that's what you need to receive the prayers of the church. Another thing I want to mention very briefly as we close, as I preach this sermon about the narrow way and the wide way, have you realized that you're on the wrong road altogether? Have you sat there saying, Man, this guy is not talking about me at all. I'm not even on that road.

I'm on this other road. I'm on this broadway. Well, Jesus is the door, and baptism is the way that you step through that door to begin your journey along the narrow way. And so this morning, whatever your needs, Jesus calls on all of us to join him along the narrow way. And he promises that he'll be with us every step of the way.

That there'll be no place where we cannot get through if we follow him, and that the destination will certainly be worth all of the effort. If you need to come to Christ, Jesus is urging you to do so now as we stand and as we sing our song of encouragement.