| 13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. – Matthew 7:13–14
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. – John 14:6
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” – Acts 1:8
23 About that time there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way. – Acts 19:23
Jesus is clear. His Way is hard, but it is so, so good. We notice above in Matthew 7, Jesus declares that the Way is narrow…that’s hard. But then in John 14, He makes it clear that He Himself is the Way…that’s good. Then in Acts 1:8, He commissions us to be witnesses who invite others to embrace Him and walk in His Way…that’s really good. But then in Acts 19, you see that His Way is not always well received by others…that can be incredibly hard.
Have you ever wondered why good things are often hard?
Or why hard things are often so good?
Do you have something like this in your life? For me, I enjoy starting my day with the good and hard thing of going to the gym. It’s hard because it requires me to set my alarm very early, but it’s so good because I get to spend time with friends. It’s hard because it requires a whole lot of physical exertion at a time I’d much rather be sleeping, but it’s so, so good because I can feel myself getting stronger and gaining more energy throughout the day. This was a hard adjustment for me at first, but now after three years of getting up early to workout, has become an essential part of my way. Not only that, it’s become a place where I get to live out Jesus’ Way. It’s become a place full of people I love and care about. It’s full of people who love Jesus and those who desperately need Him.
Friends, as we wrap up this series on The Essentials of the Way, can I encourage you to choose the harder yet better Way? You see, the Way of Jesus is the hardest and best thing in life. To be fair, Jesus’ Way isn’t just hard, it’s actually impossible. But listen, that’s what actually makes it so good. When we embrace Jesus as The Way, He gives us the strength and power to love and live life His Way. This series has been all about seeing and showing The Way. When you see it, you’ll want to live it. And when you start living it, people will notice you are doing the impossible and want to see it for themselves. Let’s be sure to show them The Way.
This Sunday we will conclude the series by reviewing where we’ve been and learning all the ways we can grow in our ability to Grow Stronger and share His Way with others.
Love you Church,
Jerry Lingenfelter
Senior Pastor |
