52.4 The Narrow Door

Luke 13:22-30

Jesus went through towns and villages, teaching the people and making his way toward Jerusalem.  Someone asked him, "Sir, will just a few people be saved?"

Jesus answered them, "Do your best to go in through the narrow door; because many people will surely try to go  in but will not be able.  The master of the house will get up and close the door; then when you stand outside and begin to knock on the door and say, 'Open the door for us, sir!' he will answer you, 'I don't know where you come from!' Then you will answer, 'We ate and drank with you; you taught in our town!' But he will say again, 'I don't know where you come from. Get away from me, all you wicked people! How you will cry and gnash your teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, while you are thrown out! People will come from the east and west, from the north and the south, and sit down at the feast in the Kingdom of God. Then those who are now last will be first, and those who are now first will be last."

52.3 Accountability For Each Word

Matthew 12:36-37

"You can be sure that on the Judgment Day everyone will have to give account of every useless word he has ever spoken.  Your words will be used to judge you--to declare you either innocent or guilty."

52.2 Parable Of The Net

Matthew 13:47-50

"Also, the Kingdom of heaven is like this. Some fishermen throw their net out in the lake and catch all kinds of fish.  When the net is full, they pull it to shore and sit down to divide the fish:  the good ones go into the buckets, the worthless ones are thrown away.  It will be like this at the end of the age: the angels will go out and gather up evil people from among the good and will throw them into the fiery furnace, where they will cry and gnash their teeth.

52.1 Parable Of The Weeds Among The Wheat

Matthew 13:24-30

Jesus told them another parable:  "The Kingdom of heaven is like this.  A man sowed good seed in his field.  One night, when everyone was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.  When the plants grew and the heads of grain began to form, then the weeds showed up.  The man's servants came to him and said, "Sir, it was good seed you sowed in your field; where did the weeds come from? 'It was some enemy who did this,' he answered. 'Do you want us to go and pull up the weeds?' they asked him. 'No,' he answered, 'because as you gather the weeds you might pull up some of the wheat along with them.  Let the wheat and the weeds both grow together until harvest. Then I will tell the harvest workers to pull up the weeds first, tie them in bundles and burn them, and then to gather in the wheat and put it in my barn.'

51.5 God, The Supreme Judge

Psalm 82

God presides in the heavenly council;
in the assembly of the gods he gives his decision:
"You must stop judging unjustly;
you must no longer be partial to the wicked!
Defend the rights of the poor and the orphans;
be fair to the needy and the helpless.
Rescue them from the power of evil men.

"How ignorant you are! How stupid!
You are completely corrupt,
and justice has disappeared from the world.
'You are gods,' I said;
'all of you are sons of the Most High.'
But you will die like men;
your life will end like that of any prince."

Come, O God, and rule the world;
all the nations are yours.