Narrow is the Way
Scripture: Matthew 7:14Devotional Series: Resurrection Power
Teaching: Resurrection Power pt. 1 (SUN_AM 2024-03-31) by Pastor Star R Scott
After Jesus arose, He makes an appearance then, shortly after, to Mary, and the Scripture says that she ran to Him, and grabbed Him, and tried to embrace His legs, and just rejoicing in the fact that God had fulfilled that promise. And He speaks these words to her, and He says, “Mary, don’t touch me.” That word “touch” doesn’t mean just a contact. In the Greek it’s a powerful word, and it means, “Don’t try to detain Me” or, “Don’t try to hold Me to yourself.” “I’ve not yet ascended to My Father” (John 20:17)—and your Father; amen? He was sought by the apostles prior to that, and they were grieved and in sorrow that He had told them earlier, in this Gospel, that He was going to go to the Father. And they were grieved, and He said, “Don’t grieve, but rejoice.” He said, “Going to the Father is what is going to allow Me, then, to send the Holy Spirit to empower you”; amen? He’s making that same comment to Mary here, again, at the tomb: “I have to go to the Father. I have to assume that position at the right hand of God, and by doing so, I’m going send you the Holy Spirit. He will be with you. He will dwell within you. He will give you power to be witnesses unto me.” Hallelujah!
This resurrection power that destroyed death has a far-more-reaching benefit than we imagine sometimes. That risen Christ, that ascended Christ, multiplied the effect of the ministry, the Gospel of the kingdom of God on earth by Him, filling each and every one of us with the Holy Spirit. And He then said, “Because you are full of My Spirit now, the things that I did, shall you do, and greater things than those shall you do because I go to the Father” (John 14:12). He was a victorious Savior. We are a victorious church, praise God! It looks like sin is winning. It looks like the devil is winning today, but I want to tell you something: The gates of hell will not prevail against the church of Jesus Christ! And I’m not talking about political methods. I’m not talking about electing Christians. I’m talking about preaching the Gospel. Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel…it is the power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16). Amen? Acts 1:8, He said, “You shall receive power, after the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me.” Hallelujah!
Let’s encourage ourselves with the fact that God has more power to evidence Himself in us than we’ve been experiencing; amen? There are greater things that the church is going to do in this last day because He is risen, hallelujah! And He ever lives to make intersession for us. Oh, I’m not saying that we’re necessarily going to see some great revival where hundreds of millions of people are going to be saved. We don’t know. We do know that He said, “Few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:14). That we know for a fact. What we know, for a fact, is the way is broad that leads to destruction. When He speaks of few finding it and the broad way, He’s not talking to the pagans. He’s talking to the professed believers, and said, “Few are going to find. Strait is the way. Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way” (Matthew 7:14). But it’s that empowering of the Holy Spirit that will cause us to stay on that narrow path. I’m not talking about just morality and Christian character. The straight path is the path that there is no other way than Jesus Christ, and His Word is truth; amen?