1. The Kingdom is Here
    1. The Old Testament was clear that the kingdom of God would be a place where God exerted His rule on the earth through men. Now John and Jesus came preaching that that kingdom was starting today.
    2. Kingdom God’s People in God’s Place Under God’s Rule.
    3. Jesus is walking making His way to Jerusalem and someone asks Him. “Lord are those being saved just a few?” Luke 13: 23
    4. Jesus mentions that the door into the kingdom is narrow, but before we look at the answer to that question, let’s look at the context of where Jesus is at when the question is asked.
  2. Journey to Jerusalem.
    1. Vs 22 making His way to Jerusalem.
    2. Jerusalem is the place where the kingdom is going to have its fulfillment.  Jesus is going to reign from there.  Jesus is going to die and be resurrected to prove that his message is true.
    3. It is understandable that there would be resistance to Jesus being there. (resistance to Jewish people being there)
  3. Samaritan’s Resist
    Luke 9: 51 – 53

    1. Best known confrontation with the samaritans was the women at the well in John 4
    2. A lot in here but look at one point of contention.  Vs 20 – 24
    3. Where do we worship God, here or in Jerusalem?
      1. There is a lot of information on worship in the Old Testament about worship. (Where, how, ritual) word for worship is to get low before God
      2. There is a stunning silence about form and ritual in what is worship in the New Testament.  How do we prostrate ourselves or get low before God?
      3. Yet with so little information of what that looks like, we know God is seeking worshippers.(Vs 23)
  4. My people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.  They worship me in vain.
    Matthew 15: 8 – 9

    1. Vain = Empty
    2. So many other God’s in our lives that crowd out Jesus
  5. Narrow Door
    Matthew 19: 16

    1. What do I need to do to enter the kingdom of heaven?
      1. Obey the law Vs 18 (Not arrogant, this is what they are to do)
      2. All that is vain and empty because something else has filled your heart. Vs 21 sell what you have
      3. Left weeping because he had a lot of property Vs 22
      4. Hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
      5. Passions consume us and fill our hearts making our worship vain no matter how we stand, lift our hands, sing.
  6. Latravo: How do I fulfill what worship is?
    1. Latravo: do not worship their gods or serve them.
      Exodus 23 do not prostrate yourselves before these gods.
    2. Romans 1: 9 God whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son
    3. Paul prostrates himself before God when he does what he is called to do.
    4. Hebrews 13: 15 through Jesus let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise lips that openly profess his name. Sacrifice is latravo.
    5. Hebrews 13: 16 do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. sharing and doing good for others.
    6. Philippians  Paul is talking about offering gifts for the persecuted church in Jerusalem call them them a fragrant offering.
    7. Romans 15: 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in priestly service of the gospel of God so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Sharing Christ
    8. Our bodies as a sacrifice Romans 12: 1, 2 even to the point of death. 2 Timothy 4: 6 drink offering.
    9. Jesus going to Jerusalem and the samaritans hated it because they were happy with their form and ritual of worshipping God here rather than there. We will not prostrate ourselves before God
  7. Herod Resists
    Luke 13: 31 Herod wants to kill you.

    1. Kingdom of God is always going to be resisted by this world
    2. All who live Godly lives will suffer persecution. 2 Timothy 3: 12
  8. Desire to Gather
    Vs 34

    1. We resist, we don’t enter the kingdom of heaven, WE follow our riches and walk away sadly instead of entering the narrow door.
    2. God wants to gather us to him, but we would have none of it.
      1. Looking for worshippers who will prostrate themselves before God in every areas of our lives.
      2. We in turn prefer our religiousness of Sunday worship service
      3. God’s kingdom tries to invade our kingdom we fight against it.
  9. MAKE EVERY EFFORT, WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE