Back in January of 2011, Jenny and I were engaged, and I began preaching my first series through the Sermon on the Mount up in Storm Lake, Iowa. I was eager to prepare well, so I bought a few books—some commentaries, and a couple of older works. One was John Wesley’s book on the Sermon on the Mount—Jenny was attending a Free Methodist Church, so I figured I’d better get to know Wesley a bit. Another was by a guy named Emmet Fox. I didn’t know who he was—just saw it was an older book with good reviews on Amazon, so I downloaded it to my new Kindle.
It didn’t take long to realize something was off. As I read Fox’s take, his teaching felt…self-focused. It wasn’t lining up with what Jesus was saying in the Sermon on the Mount. It was more about me than the Kingdom. So, I Googled him. Turns out, Emmet Fox was a New Thought leader—a philosophy that says if you just think the right thoughts, you can manifest your desires. That’s infiltrated everything in our culture—from self-help books to Oprah to even corners of Christianity.
Here’s the thing: I spotted that as false because it didn’t match what I’d been taught about following Jesus, how I practiced following Him, or what biblical scholars have said for centuries. That moment taught me something crucial—discernment isn’t optional for us as followers of Jesus. It’s what keeps us on the right path. This is the truth Jesus teaches in Matthew 7:13-23. We need to be people of discernment.
Discernment Keeps Us on the Narrow Road
Through the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us what it means to live as Kingdom citizens—to see God’s will done on earth as in heaven. It’s not about us—our comfort, our dreams. It’s about God’s Kingdom and our loyalty to King Jesus. In Matthew 7:13-23, as He wraps up this sermon, He doesn’t give new rules. He gives a warning: without discernment, we’ll follow the wrong way.
Two Roads, One Choice (Matthew 7:13-14)
Jesus says, “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.” When Matthew wrote this, Jerusalem’s destruction in 70 AD was still future. People thought the Kingdom would come through violence, power, and wealth—the wide road. But Jesus points to the narrow way: poor in spirit, meek, merciful, peacemakers.
For them, it wasn’t “hell vs. heaven” like we might read it today. It was “destruction vs. life”—the popular way or Jesus’ way. He wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44) because they missed it. Today, the warning’s for us, the church. Are we chasing power, comfort, wealth, or Jesus’ character and dependence on God? Ask yourself: Am I following Jesus’ vision for the Kingdom, or my desires with Him as a mascot?
Watch Out for Wolves (Matthew 7:15-20)
Then Jesus warns, “Watch out for false prophets… By their fruit you will recognize them.” Not false teachers—prophets. They claim to speak for God, with visions and dreams. They’re dangerous because they sound right—talking about the Father, Jesus, the Spirit—but lead us off the narrow road. In Jesus’ day, they might’ve preached rebellion and riches. Today, it could be prosperity or self-fulfillment dressed up as faith.
Test them, Jesus says. Don’t just swallow their words. Here’s how:
- Be vigilant with anyone claiming to be a prophet—don’t lower your guard.
- Compare their teaching to Scripture and wise counsel (that’s how I spotted Emmet Fox).
- Look at their lives—deception or integrity? A false prophet can’t live the narrow way any more than a thistle can grow grapes.
The Sobering Truth (Matthew 7:21-23)
Jesus gets real: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father.” People will say, “Didn’t we prophesy? Perform miracles?” And He’ll reply, “I never knew you.” It’s not about words or wonders—it’s about a life reflecting the Beatitudes, a heart transformed by the Spirit, a relationship with the King.
You can think you’re on the narrow road and miss it. So evaluate: Are you following Jesus’ way or what feels right to you? To stay on track, do this daily: pledge allegiance to King Jesus and surrender to the Holy Spirit. That’s the path.
Living It Out
Matthew 7:13-23 isn’t just about salvation—it’s about whether we’ll follow God’s way as His people. Jesus warns us because He loves us too much to let us wander. The Kingdom isn’t popular or comfortable—it’s Jesus’ character, teaching, and reign. Test the voices you hear—Scripture and fruit, not feelings, are your guide. Test your heart, too.
The big idea is this: Citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven are discerning about what influences their live so they can remain on the narrow road of King Jesus. Discernment isn’t optional—it’s survival. Test the voices you listen to—weigh them against Scripture, watch how they live. But more than that, test your own heart. Pledge your allegiance to King Jesus. Surrender to the Spirit’s leading. That’s how we stay on the narrow road. That’s how we become citizens who don’t just pray “Your Kingdom come,” but live it out—right here, right now.
To paraphrase Dietrich Bonhoeffer from the book The Martyred Christian: “God’s will isn’t ours to control—it’s His grace, fresh daily. It’s not your gut feeling or a spiritual rule. God reveals His will only to those who seek it anew.” We don’t set the Kingdom’s path—that’s the King’s job. Follow Jesus. Use His words in these chapters to weigh everything. That’s the narrow road of King Jesus.
A Prayer for the Journey
Take a moment. Thank God for Jesus and His Kingdom. Ask for wisdom to live as a good citizen. Surrender to the Spirit. If God’s nudging you to follow Jesus more closely, don’t wait—reach out to someone today. Let’s pray:
“God, thank You for Jesus. Give us wisdom to follow Your way. We surrender to Your Spirit. Keep us on the narrow road. Amen.”