CALL FOR COMMITMENT

 

Jesus sets before His audience a call for commitment. He is moving to the conclusion of His sermon, and had laid out the terms for His kingdom followers. Now, He brings the people to this choice: there are two gates—one broad and the other narrow; two roads—one broad and the other narrow; two groups—the many and the few; two destinations—destruction or life. There is no middle ground—no third option. Everyone reading these words has made a choice.

The thing about this choice, is to be in one classification, you need do nothing except choose to remain where you are. We are all born with a depraved nature.  When we reach an age of moral responsibility, we choose to remain as we are with the crowd we belong to and bound for hell.

The preacher must do as Jesus did. He must call on people to repent. It is a call to commitment. He is to present the Gospel in such a way as to shine the light on that narrow gate. In fact, it is a singular way—a Person, Jesus Christ. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me,” (John 14:6).  The Path is a Person.  It is a call to follow Jesus, and that is the Calvary Road.

That is the invitation the preacher must give—to come and die. It is Christ’s appeal, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me,” (Matt.16:24). Few are wanting such a life, and yet the most important thing about a road is not how many have chosen it, the ease of access, and smoothness of travel, but the destination. The way to hell has a wide access ramp, it is well marked, it is the popular way, and easy—just shift into neutral for it is all downhill. But the end of the road is a fatal, fiery crash.

The good news the preacher presents is there is another road. It is narrow and uphill all the way. Not many are on it. Yet, it ends on the mountaintop of glory!  Man of God, summon people to Christ. Give the Gospel invitation. Do not be discouraged when few respond. It is not your task to try to make the invitation easy—to broaden the appeal—to gain decisions rather than disciples. Getting someone to walk down an aisle and sign a membership card is not the same as getting them to walk to the cross and sign their life over to Jesus. Yet, because some have resorted to emotional manipulation does not mean we abandon the invitation. Just make it plain as Jesus did. You are calling them to come and die, but it is dying that we gain eternal life.