Mountainview International Church

Welcome to Mountainview’s Family Service. It’s been a while since we have had a full-on family service. Just to remind everyone what a family service is about. Mountainview has a family service about once a month so that we can discover together what it means to be a worshipping community; young and old enjoying one another’s company and learning from each other. It’s not just about giving the Sunday school teachers a rest…me a headache!

The adults have been looking at the Sermon on the Mount. It’s found in Matthew’s Gospel and we get to find out about the greatest sermon ever preached by Jesus himself. This is a painting from Carl Heinrich Bloch, the 19th Century Danish artist. Can you tell me what we notice about the people in the picture? They are all listening to Jesus! Jesus wants us to listen to him.

I’ve asked Caleb and Ester to come and read our text for us today. First in English and then in Spanish! Let’s listen to the words of Jesus.

The Narrow and Wide Gates
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7: 13-14, New International Version)

La puerta estrecha y la puerta ancha
Entren por la puerta estrecha. Porque es ancha la puerta y espacioso el camino que conduce a la destrucción, y muchos entran por ella. Pero estrecha es la puerta y angosto el camino que conduce a la vida, y son pocos los que la encuentran. (Mateo 7: 13-14, Nueva Versión Internacional)

Thanks so much.

Every one of us here, young and old, wants to live and get the most out of life, right? I want to ask you an important question? If we look at the text, which way gives life? The narrow road is the life giving way! Many Christians think that the small narrow road eventually leads to eternal life in heaven. It’s a hard road that has to be stoically endured. You have to grit your teeth and put up with all the hardship. But do you know what? Many people who have set out to follow Jesus, as very best they can, on the difficult road have discovered a huge surprise. Real life is not just found at the end of the road, but on the road itself. Real life is found in the journey with Jesus.

Gerard Kelly writes:

As we travel this road, as we slow our pace, and stop to reflect, and make time for people, and seek depth in our lives, then we will discover in the midst of our journey that we are truly alive.

I want to offer us some images from the text on this idea of really living.

Living without Luggage:

I am sure that many of us have flown with budget airlines like Easy Jet or Ryan Air. At the check in, you may have noticed, there is a contraption to measure the size of your baggage. This picture is from Easy Jet. If your bag fits great, you get to take your teddy bear on the plane and everyone’s happy. If it’s too big you have to pay extra to put it in the hold, or, worse, you have to leave it behind. Bye bye teddy bear. When Jesus talks about the small gate – like the camel going through the eye of the needle - he’s reminding us that if we are to follow him into life there is a limited luggage allowance!

[Picture of thousnads of bags at Heathrow T5]

This picture is of the Wallace’s checking in for a weekend break in England. Just kidding – Riekje is actually an amazing packer and believe me the Wallace family travel light. But the picture got me thinking! What do you think are some of the things that Jesus might ask us to leave behind when we follow him?

Since we are looking at the Sermon on the Mount as I was preparing this message I went though Jesus words on the Mountain and these are some of things that Jesus asks us to leave behind.

• Your “rights”
• Indifference
• Anger
• Dishonesty
• Revenge
• Pride
• Un-forgiveness
• Worry

Living Upstream:

[picture of a salmon swimming upstream]

What is this a picture of? Yes, a salmon jumping upstream. Why is it going upstream? To breed! If the salmon does not swim upstream it cannot complete its lifecycle and there eventually there will be no more salmon – they would become extinct and we would not get to enjoy smoked salmon. Even though it’s hard to swim up rapids and waterfall – in a very real way the fish is swimming towards life. The broad road involves floating along with the stream. All you have to do is jump in and let the current carry you along. It’s the way of the crowd. On the other hand, the narrow road involves swimming upstream – against the crowd. What do you think are some ways that we can swim against the crowd at say school?

I thought of one example. Maybe everyone in your class picks on someone! They little, they are fat, they are smelly, they are from Canada…whatever. The temptation is to float along with the crowd and pick on that person too. But Jesus wants us, like the salmon, to swim upstream. Jesus wants us to be nice to the person that everyone picks on.

Finally,

Living within limits:

[Picture of a 4.5 mph speed limit]

In Greek the word “broad” means “spacious, roomy and with out boundaries!” It’s a board road where you can do what you like. You can be proud and angry! You can hate your enemy and be unforgiving. You spend all your money on yourself - Give 20 cents to Proyecto Bernabé? No chance! But do you know what the problem with no boundaries is? People get hurt! We even get hurt!

In Greek the word “narrow” means, “constricted, confined, compressed!” It’s a road with boundaries. But it’s a road that leads to life.

[Picture of someone painting lines on a football field]

What is this a picture of? This is a picture of someone putting markings down for a football match. The markings provide boundaries for the football field. Let me ask you this? When we play football will we enjoy the game more if there are boundaries and rules, or if there are no markings, where we can play wherever we like and we can do whatever we want for rules? We enjoy the game much more if there are boundaries and rules to play by.

When Jesus says that his road is narrow – he’s not trying to cramp our style. He’s not trying to box us in! He’s offering us life. He’s inviting us to really live! And who of us here does not want to really live!

We have prepared a video that reminds us that the narrow road is an invitation to really live.

let's say the verse together:

Small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:14)

Estrecha es la puerta y angosto el camino que conduce a la vida, y son pocos los que la encuentran. (Mateo 7:14)

[Close in Prayer]