Lord Are There Few Who Are Saved?

Introduction

Pleasant good morning to all, and certainly a cordial welcome to those who are visiting in our audience today. It is a distinct privilege when we can gather together with others of like precious faith and to be in the very presence of our Lord, who promised where two or three are gathered together in his name, he would also be there. I hope that you have a Bible with you. If not, you have certainly one in the pew just in front of you. And I encourage you to be getting a Bible and turning with me to the reading found in the book of Luke. Our text this morning is from Luke chapter 13. And I’d like to read first of all, beginning in verse 22. Luke chapter 13, verse 22.

The scripture says he went through the cities and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then one said to him, Lord, are there few who are saved? And he said to them, Strive to enter through the narrow gate. For many I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

And he will answer and say to you, I do not know you where you are from. Then you will begin to say, We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets. But he will say, I tell you, I do not know you where you are from. Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity. I find this to be one of the certainly the most intriguing questions ever asked of the Lord. And certainly to look at the answer that he gave. Might be surprising to many. For we know that this is the Lord who is full of love and grace and mercy. And he could answer that only a few would be saved, though many would seek, yet few to be saved. We’re not really told what was behind the question.

Maybe the man who asked it, we are not told who he was, but maybe he asked it simply out of curiosity. Knowing that indeed Jesus is the Son of God who loved us and in fact was on his way to Jerusalem. Maybe will there only be a few? Or maybe he asked it out of real concern. If in fact there are just a few who are going to be saved, then maybe he needed to be busy, as we all do in teaching our loved ones, our neighbors and friends, because not everybody’s going to be saved. Perhaps he asked it even out of some kind of self-assurance that he was, and he just wondered if there are any others going to go along with him. We’re not really told what motivated the question.

In fact, the scripture simply speaks of Jesus on his way to Jerusalem, and by reading the text in Luke, coordinated with Matthew and Mark. We know that this was the last time indeed Jesus had been in Galilee, last time he was there, and on his way now to Jerusalem and soon thereafter to be crucified. Jesus knew what was about to occur. And yet his answer that he gave to this man was rather shocking, wasn’t it? Jesus tasted death for all men. But the scripture says, strive to enter through the narrow gate. Strive to enter. For many will seek to enter and will not be able. I’m sure everyone in this audience this morning seeks to enter. You wouldn’t be have taken the time to come and be here on a Sunday morning to be here.

Everybody, anybody here did not want to go to heaven? We all seek to enter. Would it be rather shocking if the Lord were to say, well, I know everybody in this audience seeks to enter, but you know, only a few of you will make it. Would that make you wonder whether you’re with that few? Or you are of that many who seek and will not be able.

In fact, we might say, Lord, you taught in our streets. You are in our midst. In fact, we’ve heard your word, and in a more full measure, at the time this answer was being given, Jesus would say in a literal way, you taught in our streets. Surely we’re going to be able to enter, aren’t we? But what did Jesus answer? I do not know you where you’re from. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity. That’s a rather strange answer, isn’t it? In fact, we live in a society now where certainly in our country it’s certainly publicized as though everybody’s going to go to heaven. A few weeks ago I was listening to a TV program, and it was really said to be a kind of a humorous type of program, kind of lighthearted and to enjoy it.

And it was said rather to be a funny thing. What was happening was that this father was to give some answers to his ten-year-old or so daughter. And she’d ask questions about the birds and the bees, and he was troubled about how he’s going to answer her. And he’d gone, he’d gotten this little book that was going to help him with all the answers. And so he comes upstairs and he’s sitting on the bedside ready for any question she might ask, and he’d be able to find the answer in the book, but she didn’t ask the questions he was expecting. Her first question was, Lord, uh Father, why why are we on the why are we even put on the earth? Why did God put us here?

That stumped him right off. You know, there are a lot of people in this world today who don’t know the purpose for life. Why are we here? But she followed it up with another question that really shows the thinking of the world today when she said, Well, if we’re all going to go to heaven anyway, why did he put us on earth first? Now think that one through. I’m sure the writers for that particular program had no idea how far reaching that question really is. But you think about it, if indeed, as the world has often thought today and seemed to be publicized, that everybody, it doesn’t matter what happens to you when you die, we’re all going to go to heaven anyway. If that’s true, why did God let us be here first?

1. External Acquaintance Is Not Enough

Why not just start in heaven? Pretty thought-provoking question, isn’t it? In fact, what Jesus said, yes, you may say to me that we ate and drank in your presence and you taught in our streets, but I don’t know you. I don’t know where you’re from. Why would he say that? Except that what it really says is that external acquaintance is not enough. Oh, everybody here, we all have external acquaintance, and there are a lot of people who aren’t even in a building to worship today who have external acquaintance. They can say, Yeah, we know something about the Lord. We believe he’s the Son of God, we believe the Bible to be the Word of God. A lot of people would say that. And they’re seeking to go to heaven, but they will not enter.

Listen to what Jesus said even in other places. In Matthew chapter 7, verses 13 and 14, he said, Enter by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Is that rather frightening in one sense? Or indeed, Jesus really, in the parable that we know as the parable of the wedding feast, found in Matthew chapter 22, really verses 1 through 14. Where Jesus illustrated in the parable that this king prepared a feast. And in the eastern custom at that time, whenever the feast would be uh occurring, there would also be the wedding itself.

And so, when the time was come that he had the feast ready, he sent out his servants to invite those, or to bring in those who had already been invited, and they ignored the request to come. So he sent again, a second time. Those who had been invited. And the scripture says in Matthew 22, well, some of them, they all refused, some of them went to their business, and some went to their farm. And in fact, some even murdered those who had come to invite them to come. And of course, the king was angry when this occurs. Probably in that part of the parable representing the Jews who themselves, as a as a family who should have accepted the Savior, rejected him and were so busy with life here now, they certainly did not heed the invitation to accept Jesus as the Son of God.

So what did the king do? In that parable of Matthew 22, he sent his servants out again. Said, You go into the highways. And whoever you find bad or good, you bring them in.

And so it’s time now. And indeed, the time came where the guest began to enter. But in verse 11, when the king came in to see the guest, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, bind him hand and foot, take him away, cast him into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And then verse 14, Jesus said, For many are called, but few are chosen. Interesting that in the Eastern custom, in fact, that when the king would prepare a wedding feast, that there would be one there who did not have on the wedding garment.

I say that’s interesting because actually, in that custom, the king would prepare a garment, and all who would come in had a garment prepared by the king for them to wear. But this one was speechless. Perhaps indicating maybe someone who had been given the garment, but who didn’t bother to put it on. Didn’t bother really to comply with the invitation that the king had issued forth. Would that represent maybe some of us today who might say, yeah, you know, I believe in the invitation of God, and that even to come to the feast that’s been prepared, the heavenly feast? And yet, maybe we once were baptized and we were a Christian, but we really kind of let it, hmm. Well, we weren’t as involved as we ought to have been.

2. Many Called, Few Chosen

So we didn’t really have the wedding garment on. People who look at us don’t really know whether or not we are the children of God by how we act and what we do. You see, again, the point, external acquaintance is not enough. There is a life to be lived. There are responsibilities to be accepted and to be obeyed. Well, we might ask, is that really what’s going to happen? In fact, in other occasions you might look, you remember the flood. As Peter described it in 1 Peter chapter 3, verses 20 and 21, speaking about those who formerly were disobedient when once the divine, long suffering waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls were saved through water.

There’s also an anti type which now saves us, baptism, not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of your conscience toward God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. What is the apostle trying to say to us? Look at the look at the statistics for that matter. In the day of the flood, how many were saved? Only eight. You can come to other passages, for example, in 1 Corinthians chapter 10. There the apostle reviewing history a little bit when he says, Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the sea. You remember the story, the children of Israel came out of Egyptian bondage, led by Moses, crossed the Red Sea, something like perhaps maybe as many as two million.

But at least the scripture we know, when they were numbered, found there were 63,550 men of war, men who could fight. Now that’s besides the Levites and their wives and their children. But the of the 603,550 men, you know how many entered the promised land? Of those who were above 20 years of age when they left Egypt, only two. Joshua and Caleb. And as the scripture says in 1 Corinthians 10 and verse 5, but with most of them, God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Many called, few chosen. Finally, in verse 11 of 1 Corinthians 10, the scripture says that all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

3. God Wants All to Be Saved, Most Are Not Willing

Is this really what God wants? Does he want most to be lost? You know, you read scriptures like this, and you say, well, is God unfair? Is God unjust? The fact that he seeks many, but only a few are saved. Is it God’s fault or man’s fault? The fact is, the scriptures are very clear in answer to that. God wants all to be saved. There’s so many verses you can read, but even passages like 2 Peter chapter 3 and in verse 9, the scripture there clearly tells us that God is long suffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But indeed he will come as a thief in the night. That is, when men may not be expecting him, he doesn’t announce it.

I know there are a lot of people today who are ready, or if they know the caboose is here, they want to catch it. In other words, the train’s going by, and oh, they’re not, they’re too busy with life right now. They’re busy, like in the parable of the wedding feast, going to their farm or going to their business or doing this and that, and they know the invitation is out there, and they intend later they’re going to get strong in the Lord, and they’re going to be more involved with the Lord’s work, but not now. But like a thief in the night without being announced, he’s going to come. And those who really are faithful, that’s the ones who will be saved. Now God wants all to be saved.

And he is long suffering. But he doesn’t sound the alarm, and everybody can get on the caboose, so to speak. In 1 Timothy chapter 2 and in verse 4, he wants all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. That’s God’s desire. Every single person on this earth. Christ died. He tasted death for all men. Hebrews 2 and verse 9. Well, you might then ask the question, well, why then are only a few saved? If indeed God wants all to be saved, why aren’t there more than just the few? And the answer perhaps can be found in the words of Jesus Himself. You may recall in Matthew, when in the last days before his crucifixion, as he overlooked the city of Jerusalem, and no doubt with certain grief in his heart, he said, Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how oft would I’ve gathered you under my under my care, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings.

And ye are you would not.

Those of Jerusalem, certainly all of Judaism, had every opportunity to know the Lord. They’ve had the scriptures through the years. They were the chosen family, blessed of God through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and on through the years. How many stories are there about Israel where God had patience with them, long suffering with them? And how many times were they a disappointment to him? And yet, still because of a faithful few, he would again give them opportunity. But finally, when it came to the very crucifixion of Jesus, though he was in their midst to work miracles that all could see and could know, and yet they were not willing to serve him. Indeed, many are lost. Some are indifferent. Some never really started. Some never obeyed the gospel.

4. Strive to Enter

But all can be of the few who are saved. The reality is most are not willing. And that’s the answer why it is that only few are saved. Don’t you go back though and look at this answer that Jesus gave in Luke chapter 13? When after speaking of the fact that there would be many, well, it’s asked the question, Lord, are only there a few who are saved. His answer first was strive to enter. Strive.

But I can take a book and find out some words. And it’s interesting that this word strive from the Greek word is agonizabile. And I found that interesting because you can sort of transliterate that word, agonize. We know what agonized means, don’t we? Strive. Put forth all you can. Don’t just play around with it. The word strive carries that idea, there’s a struggle involved. Perhaps even you may recall the story in Genesis when Jacob was coming about to meet Esau for the first time after their real separation, and Jacob was somewhat afraid of how Esau would react to him and coming against him, even with men ready to fight against him. And in fact, Jacob sent his wives ahead and sent a gift of cattle ahead so he could kind of appease Esau.

But on the night that he was by himself, recorded in Genesis 32, he wrestled with an angel, or with a man. The scripture says he struggled with God. And it was on that occasion that as the daylight began to shine the next morning that he would not let go of the man until he gave him a blessing or a name, and he called him Israel, which meant prince with God. That’s where the name Israel really came in the Israelites, the descendants of Jacob. It was on that occasion because he had struggled. Here’s the word that is used with God. Wrestled all night. It wasn’t just sort of a play around type of thing. In fact, we know passages even in the New Testament where we find this idea.

If you have your Bible, look at 1 Corinthians chapter 9. And in 1 Corinthians chapter 9, the Apostle Paul describes even how we fight or must run in the in the life of a Christian. When he says, verse 24, do you not know that those who run in a race all run? But one receives the prize. Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus, not with uncertainty. Thus I fight, not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

You get the feeling of Paul in describing here as the life that he said, as I live or we ought to live. He said, We all run in a race. How do you run? Now let’s just say you’re in a mile, and you’re running in a race. Track event. Probably some of us couldn’t complete the mile. I’m sure I couldn’t. But I’ll tell you what, those who run, they don’t run real hard half the mile and then kind of lag around and loaf for the rest of it, do they? They all run. They compete, they strive, they struggle, they give their very best all the way through. And Paul says, you know, only one gets the prize. Now that’s in this world, only one gets the prize.

But he says, we don’t run in a race like that. The fact is, we ought to strive, compete, struggle, give it your very best all the way through, but all receive the prize. That’s the difference. Even in a boxing match, he said, I box, but not as one that just beats the air, not just shadow boxing, but you give it the very best you have if you’re going to win. But again, there’s victory. There’s a crown for all. We understand that even in life itself. Nearly football season, not far around the corner. But you know, if there are eleven men on the field at any one time, you want all eleven, giving the best they have. Any one player that’s not doing the best he can give may cause that team to lose.

We struggle, we compete. We give it our very best. Not only these passages, but also in Colossians chapter 1, in verses 28 and 29. The apostle speaking of Christ says, Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to his working, which works in me mightily. Striving, again, is the word. There’s something about the kind of life that I now live, giving our very best. What’s the point of this whole lesson? Is brethren, let’s not play around as a Christian. Let’s not just be indifferent about it and say, okay, some of the time I work hard and well it’s not convenient at other times.

Could it be said you’re really giving your best? I like the verse Brother Angelo gave as he was preparing our minds to protect the Lord’s Supper from Malachi chapter 1. Where there the prophet of God was speaking, of course, to a people who had become rather indifferent and lethargic about their service. Oh, they’ve come back from captivity, and they were offering sacrifices to God. Malachi spoke of them as being hypocrites. They were giving second best. They gave the lame, the sick, the blind. They were making sacrifices. But God would not accept what they gave. You thought about maybe God doesn’t accept what you give. Could it be that what you’re giving God is, well, second best. You came today because there wasn’t anything else better to do, or you didn’t.

5. The Christian Life Is a Fight

Or maybe, you know, your parents made you come, or your wife or your husband, or whatever. You know you could have done better. The fact is, the Christian life is a fight. Are you aware how many scriptures speak about in terms as though we’re in a war? Ephesians chapter 6, probably many of us certainly are familiar with that passage where the apostle says in Ephesians 6, beginning verse 10, finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Therefore, take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. And then he begins to describe the armor. Stand, therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. Take the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Praying always, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. Put on the armor of God. That sounds like a fight, doesn’t it?

Why armor? Because we are in a fight. Do you notice? We don’t wrestle against flesh and blood. We wrestle against spiritual hosts, the rulers of the darkness of this age. Indeed, we have a fight, and the devil is constantly trying to turn us away to cause us to be indifferent, to cause us to be negative and a spirit of really that does not honor the Christ. Fight. In fact, in Hebrews chapter 12, after describing the great chapter 11 characters or great men of faith, it is in that passage, Hebrews 12, where the apostle there says, seeing that we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside the weight, every sin. That is, that we may run with endurance, with patience, the race that is set before us.

Let us run with what? Perseverance. Keep on keeping on. In fact, in 1 Timothy chapter 6, when Paul wrote to Timothy, the young preacher, he said, fight, the good fight of faith. And even of himself. In the last letter that he wrote, 2 Timothy chapter 4 and verses 7 and 8, when he could draw to a conclusion, he would say, I have fought a good fight. I’ve finished the course. I’ve kept the faith. Paul, were you in a fight? Absolutely. Over and over, how many times did he have to struggle to keep on keeping on? And yet, what was there awaiting him? A crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge would give to him. I say to you, my beloved brethren, that all of us need to recognize the fight that we are in.

And we must not take it lightly that, well, you know, I come on Sunday, I’ve been baptized, and I come once, you know. It’s not that easy. There’s a daily fight, seven days a week. And you might say 24 hours a day. What’s foremost in your heart and in your mind? What really is first place? Is it the word of God? Do you begin a day with prayer or with a reading of a scripture? Do you see throughout your day there are times in which you may remind yourself this is the Lord’s will or this is not the Lord’s will? Is there within you that heart that constantly is saying, Help me, Lord? I need your strength. Or can you say, Well, Lord, you know. We ate and drank at your table.

6. We Ate and Drank in Your Presence

And Lord, you taught in our streets. And you don’t know us. Would that be possible? Could we probably say, Lord, I had some acquaintance with you. You mean you don’t know me? And he could say, Well, no, I don’t know you, because there was no real involvement on your part in my life. You ever eat in a restaurant? I’m sure you probably all have. I do, from time to time. And I sit at a table and you know, I eat in the presence of a lot of other people there. But I don’t know them. And they don’t know me. I can eat and drink in their presence. But they don’t know me. And frankly, I can talk, say with Arlene, we’re talking and we’re studying about things that are really important.

But the people that are there don’t know it. Don’t care in the world about what we’re saying or what we’re doing. Could that be the way it is with Jesus Christ? Yeah, we eat and we drink. We’re in his presence, but we do not have an intimate relationship with the Lord. And it’s our fault, not the Lord’s. It’s our fault because we have not given him first place in our hearts and in our lives. Why is it that some do not enter? They seek. How do they seek? Well, sort of half-heartedly. And maybe some never have started. In this audience, I know there’s some who’ve never started. You’ve never professed in a public way that you believe Jesus to be the Son of God. You’ve never really repented of your sins and been immersed into the death of Christ.

Conclusion

You could do that today. We’re going to sing a song in a moment we call an invitation song to give you that opportunity. And I would say to you, why not? Why not today? If the Lord were to come this day later in the day, what would you say to him? What would you say? I had opportunity. I just chose not to. I was not willing. Was that what you’d say? Maybe there’s some who would say, you know, I have obeyed the gospel in years past. You know, I’ve been faithful to the Lord at least for a period of time. Am I intimately related with the Lord? Well, I probably couldn’t quote many verses. In fact, uh, I’d have a hard time if my neighbor asked me what to do to be saved, saying, turn in your Bible to this verse, and let’s have a study.

Let me help you through the scriptures. I probably couldn’t do that. And you claim to have an intimate relationship with the Lord. Could that really be? Maybe there’s some who need to look at your lives in the mirror of God’s word and say, look, I need to be doing better. I need to strive to enter in. I think one of the hardest things in our generation of time is to get across to brethren what it means to be totally committed to the Lord. It’s so easy to be part-time, pastime. It’s convenient to be a Christian. But we ought to be more than just convenient Christians. So I urge you this morning to give a thought of your life. And let it not be of that number that Jesus described.

Of the many who seek but will not be able. Let’s be of that few that will be able, because we have served the Lord. As we sing this song in just a moment, I hope you’ll think in terms of whether or not you’re ready to meet the Lord in judgment. And if not, we bid you to come and to do so even now while together we stand while we sing.