Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction and there are many that go through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.     Matthew 7:13-14 HCSB

As I was leaving work Friday evening, I found myself driving past a traffic jam. This was five o’clock on a workday evening and cars were lined up for miles. There were several well-known rock bands performing at the local fairgrounds. I later heard it said that just the wait to get in there was 2 hours.

I guess if you were sitting in that traffic jam you might have been wishing that road was much wider with many more lanes to get you into the fairgrounds. What I found interesting is there was an event taking place at the local church and interestingly enough, I didn’t see any lines to get into there. While I think it was a large crowd, and I realize there was limited seating there were no traffic jams. There was no waiting in line for hours just to attend the event at the local church.

I want you to understand I am not condemning or judging anyone for going to a rock concert, I’m just saying that many people will make hundreds of excuses as to why they can’t get to church Sunday morning. Yet, these same people will pay large amounts of money to attend sporting events, concerts, and the like. They will go to great expense and great trouble to be at these events, but they can’t get up on Sunday morning and go spend 2-3 hours get dressed, drive to and attend church.

I know because I used to be one of those people. I went to church when it was convenient.  I even envied the Catholics because they had so many more options of service times than we did as Baptists or even when I attended the Methodist church.

If you have attended these types of events, you know that paying a lot of money for tickets, sitting in long lines, waiting hours in lines to get in and paying outrageous amounts for concessions and souvenirs are all par for the course. Are you willing to pay a couple hundred dollars to go to this type of event, but it hurts your wallet to think about tithing?

I’m not trying to condemn anyone, I just want you to understand everything in this world is temporary, it is all going away. Two things will remain, heaven and hell. There are no other options for where you spend eternity. How you live your life here on earth determines your eternal destination. It is determined by which road you choose.

Jesus said the broad road leads to destruction. By destruction, he was referring to hell in case you were wondering. Jesus was warning us that it was the difficult and narrow road that leads us to heaven to spend eternity with Him and God the Father.

Be careful of who or what you worship. There is nothing wrong with attending concerts and sporting events as long as they don’t interfere with your worship and praise for your Lord and Savior. Put Him first.

That narrow road leads you to roads paved with gold. That narrow gate leads you to gates made of pearl (Revelation 21:21). In this place there will be no more death, no more sorrow and no more crying.

The broad road leads you to the second death in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur (Revelation 21:8). In this place there will be torment day and night forever. In this place you will never again experience the Lord’s presence (2 Thessalonians 1:9). This will be a place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13:42).

Be sure you are on the right road before it’s too late. If you’ve made a wrong turn, you can still get back on track. Turn to Jesus, trust in Him and He will lead you. Follow Him and He will get you there.

Have a great day!