Introduction
Pastor Wetmore discusses the concept of few being saved versus many. The sermon explores the importance of striving to enter the “narrow door” of salvation rather than merely seeking it, emphasizing that many will seek entry but not be able to because they come too late or through the wrong means. Pastor explains various types of seeking that are insufficient for salvation, including self-righteous seeking, novel seeking, desire seeking, family seeking, and flesh-seeking, while emphasizing the urgency of responding to the gospel while the door is open. The sermon concludes with a discussion of true comfort coming only through faith in Christ and His promises, contrasting this with temporary world comforts and false religious assurances.
1 – The few
Are only a few being saved? By these small numbers it may have seemed He may not be the coming messiah. There was a time when all left except the 12. There was a time when all scattered.
We may certainly warn that many will not enter the narrow door. When Jesus says “I say to you” there is an emphasis on how serious this is.
The entrance is “stenos” or narrow, thin, also means strait.
Isaiah 51:2 (NKJV) Look to Abraham your father, And to Sarah [who] bore you; For I called him alone, And blessed him and increased him.”
Ezekiel 22:30 (NKJV) “So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.
The story of the ages: “few” –
Matthew 3:12 (NKJV) “His winnowing fan [is] in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Romans 11:5 (NKJV) Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
Revelation 7:9 (NKJV) After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,
2 – striving and seeking
Matthew 7:7 (NKJV) “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
1 – self righteous seeking (not gospel seeking)
2 – crowd seeking —
3 – family seeking — if we put our trust in family associations
4 – flesh seeking
You must be born again.
3 – Open and Shut
The seeking here is too late seeking. Seeking after the door has been closed.
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Luke 13:22-30 (NKJV) 22 And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 “When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ 26 “then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ 27 “But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ 28 “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. 29 “They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. 30 “And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last.”