When the Narrow Door Shuts
by Rev. Kirby Williams
Analyzing Jesus' dire warning of the devastating consequences when the Door to the Kingdom of God is forever shut.
Text: Luke 13:25-30
Date: 03/10/2024, the Combined service.
Series: "Luke: Thy Kingdom Come" Part 141
Description:
After establishing that the door to the Kingdom of God is narrow and that one must strive with the greatest intensity to enter through it, Jesus now turns His attention to what happens when the door shuts. We have already realized that Jesus is that Door and the prudent person will heed His advice and do everything possible to combat the culture and develop a close relationship with Him. In the same way, it will be Jesus who eventually shuts that door and those who have not "strived" to enter through it will be forever cast outside. We will analyze the pitiful dialogue that follows and discuss the surprise and anger that those under the delusion of a false salvation will experience when they realize they have ignored God's "kindness" and now face His "severity". Because Jesus primarily applies this harsh reality to the apostate religious community of His day, we will do the same with the church of our day-- trying to convey the devastating consequences when the Narrow Door shuts!
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I. Introduction
II. Exposition of the text, Luke 13:25-30.
A. Context Luke 12:37,43-46,58-59,13:2-3,7-9.
B. When the Narrow Door closes.
1. The Narrow Door, Luke 13:24.
2. The shut door, vs. 25a.
a. The kindness and severity of God, Rom. 11:22.
b. When the Master shuts the door, Matt. 24:36, Gen. 7:16.
c. Left outside.
i. Too little too late.
ii. When knocking is futile, Luke 13:24, 11:9-10.
1) When you die, Heb. 9:27.
2) When Jesus returns, Luke 12:40.
3) When the heart hardens to stone, John 12:37-39.
3. The "dialogue of the lost", vs. 25b-27.
a. The initial lack of relationship, vs. 25b.
i. The pitiful request, vs. 25c, Matt. 7:21.
ii. The chilling answer, Matt. 25:12.
b. The pitiful justification, vs. 26-27a.
i. Eating and drinking.
1) A claim of relationship, Luke 11:5-8, Rom. 11:22.
2) The delusion of salvation.
ii. Teaching in the streets.
c. Words of judgment, vs. 27b.
i. The final response, Luke 2:8-9, Matt. 24:14.
ii. The devastating consequence, Psa. 6:8.
4. The expanded Kingdom, vs. 28-29.
a. A state of anger and agony, vs. 28a.
i. A place of weeping.
ii. A place of gnashing of teeth.
1) In the Old Testament, Psa. 35:16, 37:12, 112:10, Lam. 2:16.
2) In the New Testament, Acts 7:54, Matt. 22:13,41-42.
b. A twofold mortification in agony, vs. 28b-29.
i. A branch cut off, Ex. 2:24, John 8:33,39-40, Rom. 11:20.
ii. A branch grafted in, vs. 29, Luke 14:15, Rom. 11:17-18, Luke 3:8.
5. The upside down Kingdom, vs. 30, Gal. 3:28.
III. Application
A. Two poignant warnings.
1. A warning to the careless unbeliever, John 14:6.
2. A warning to the pseudo-religious, John 8:42.
B. A message to the church.
IV. Conclusion
