Illus. Man trapped in cave – had to discard all extras to get out.

The gate may be narrow, but at least there is a gate. God has provided a way of salvation and of life. It may not be your way; it may not be an easy way, but there is a way. It is the narrow way.

• It is narrow, or difficult, because it is against the nature of fallen man. Notice the priorities of God are always counter to the priorities of man. You humble yourself in order to rise to new heights. You become a servant in order to be great. You lose your life in order to gain it. The economy of God is opposite the economy of man. It is a hard thing for man to go against his nature. It is a hard thing for a man to give up the pleasures of sin, because he is not sure the pleasures of righteousness will be as good.

The narrow way is the way of love. It puts others ahead of self. The broad way puts self as number one.

But, we have a new nature. We have been re-created in the image of the Son of God.

• Illus. - Story of butterfly struggling out of cocoon.

The narrow gate is a tight squeeze. It is a life, not of limitation, but of restraint. It is a life that says "No!" to the frivolous pleasures of this world that impede the spiritual life.

• The way of Holiness - The narrow gate puts restraints on the worldly life in order to nurture the spiritual life. Things may not be necessarily sinful but may hinder the inner life of the spiritual man. Jesus talked about the weeds - the cares of this life that choke out the Word. Self-control is the nature of the narrow way.

• At the strait gate the choices are fewer. The way of sin is broad, considering the ease with which it is found.

• The broad gate is to follow the crowd. The narrow is to follow the cloud. Never allow the world to be your authority in matters of faith. The narrow way is to search the scriptures.

To live a smaller life in this world enables one to live a larger life in the spirit. The narrow gate is not an easy road. It puts one at odds, very often, with the popular crowd - even the church crowd.

• The narrow gate has little need for many things of the world. It seeks first the Kingdom of God. It doesn't worry about worldly things, for they perish with the using and pass from the memory.

Jesus said, "You cannot serve God and mammon." Not 'you should not', but 'you cannot'. It is impossible. The world will pull from God and God will pull you from the world.

The narrow way stores up treasures in heaven rather than on earth. The narrow way trusts its care to God rather than self. Those on the narrow way do not have to worry, because God has promised to take care of every need as they attend to His Kingdom.

• The narrow way says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart." The broad way says, "Lean unto your own understanding." There is no pride in the narrow way - only humility, with total dependence on God.

The worldly seek to take care of themselves. The spiritual seek God's care. That's why the worldly have so many worries. They can't rest in the Lord.

• The narrow way builds on the firm foundation of God’s Word rather than the shifting sands of this world’s philosophies. The narrow way is the way of truth. Truth can tolerate no other way. In science men demand truth. Why not in religion?

• The broad way allures and entices the flesh nature. It appears as fun, pleasure, gain. The devil caters to the flesh and offers you the world. The narrow way may not seem exciting and enticing to the natural man. It does not appeal to the flesh. Only by denying and crucifying the flesh can we go the narrow way. The flesh does not want to be crucified. It wants to survive and will fight for survival. It repels the narrow way.

The broad way welcomes temptation. The narrow way resists.

• The broad way is the way of 'liberty'. It is the way of uninhibited living. The narrow way inhibits what it knows to be harmful to the spirit. The broad says, "Live!" The narrow way says, "Die to self." The broad way says, "Go for the gold!" The narrow ways realizes that, "Not all that glitters is gold."

• The broad way is hustling and bustling with the crowd. The narrow way is a lonely way. The broad way 'goes with the flow'. The narrow way goes against the stream.

• The narrow way may seem to go against society, against the crowd, against the world, but in reality, it is much more dramatic than that. It goes against self.

Denying self is, by far, the hardest thing one may ever do. "Self must be denied, the body kept under, corruptions mortified, temptations resisted, duties done against our inclinations, hardness endured. Spiritual priorities must be established. Self must be examined -

• The broad way says, "Eat, drink, and be merry." The narrow way says, "Pray."

Few find or choose this way. Even the religious crowd will call it too narrow, too strict, too confining, too legalistic. But shunning this way will restrict the freedom of the spirit and the richness of the spiritual life. It will choke out the Word in favor of more pleasurable, worldly things.

• The narrow way leads to life. You may even make it to heaven on the broad way, but you miss out on a spiritual quality of life few ever experience. Those who have been most useful to God and most effective in the spiritual life have been dead to the world.

• The narrow way is a radical life - much too radical for the average person. The broad way requires little or no effort. The narrow way takes deliberate and decisive action. It is a life of prayer and faith - believing God.