No Middle Ground - Pastor Johnny Dyck

As we gather today, we come to the end of our journey through the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus lays out the blueprint for life in the kingdom of heaven. He begins with blessings for those the world often overlooks and then turns our expectations upside down, calling us to a radically different way of living—loving our enemies, giving in secret, praying with sincerity, and forgiving one another. But as Jesus closes, He doesn’t just leave us with lofty ideals; He brings us to a crossroads and demands a response. There is no middle ground. We must decide: will we obey His words or not?

Jesus presents four vivid contrasts to drive this home. First, there are two gates: one wide and easy, leading to destruction, and one narrow and difficult, leading to life. The narrow gate is Jesus Himself, and entering it means surrendering our comfort and preferences to follow Him, even when it’s hard. Many admire the narrow path but hesitate to let go of the wide road’s comforts. Yet, only the narrow path leads to true life.

Second, Jesus warns us about false prophets—those who look and sound spiritual but whose hearts are far from God. He uses the image of two trees: one bearing good fruit, the other bad. The fruit of our lives reveals the root of our hearts. Are we growing in love, joy, peace, patience, and the other fruits of the Spirit? This is not about perfection but about evidence of transformation and surrender to the Holy Spirit.

Third, Jesus addresses the difference between true and false disciples. Not everyone who calls Him “Lord” will enter the kingdom, but only those who do the will of the Father. It’s not enough to have the right words or even impressive spiritual acts; what matters is a genuine relationship with Jesus, marked by obedience and surrender. We must ask ourselves: are we after our own recognition, or are we truly seeking to lift up Jesus?

Finally, Jesus tells the story of two builders: one who builds on the rock by hearing and acting on His words, and one who builds on sand by hearing but not obeying. Storms will come to both, but only the house on the rock will stand. The foundation of our lives is revealed not in what we know, but in what we do with what we know.

Today, the choice is before us. Will we go all in, surrendering to Jesus and building our lives on His words? Or will we remain on the outside, admiring but never entering? There is no middle ground. The invitation is open—enter through the narrow gate, act on His words, and find life.

Key Takeaways

• 1. The Narrow Gate Requires Surrender Choosing the narrow gate means letting go of comfort, cultural norms, and self-reliance to follow Jesus wholeheartedly. It’s not the popular or easy path, but it is the only one that leads to true life. Many stand at the crossroads, admiring the narrow way, but only those who surrender fully experience the life Jesus offers. [07:17]
• 2. Fruit Reveals the Root of Our Hearts The evidence of our relationship with Jesus is seen in the fruit our lives produce—love, joy, peace, patience, and more. This fruit is not the result of mere effort, but of a heart surrendered to Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Regular self-examination is essential: what does the fruit in our lives say about our root? [13:05]
• 3. Authentic Discipleship Is Marked by Obedience It’s not enough to know the right words or perform religious acts; true discipleship is shown in doing the will of the Father. Our actions must flow from a genuine relationship with Jesus, not from a desire for recognition or self-justification. The difference between knowing about Jesus and truly knowing Him is revealed in our willingness to obey. [19:08]
• 4. Foundations Are Proven in the Storms Both the wise and foolish builders face storms, but only the house built on obedience to Jesus stands firm. The storms of life reveal whether our faith is built on the rock of Christ or the shifting sands of self. Acting on Jesus’ words, not just hearing them, is what secures our foundation. [26:52]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:32] - Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount
• [01:43] - Blueprint for Kingdom Living
• [02:30] - The Call to Decision: No Middle Ground
• [03:38] - The Two Gates and Two Paths
• [04:59] - The Danger of Cultural Christianity
• [05:47] - The Challenge of the Narrow Path
• [08:48] - True and False Prophets: Two Trees
• [11:18] - Fruit Reveals the Heart
• [13:05] - The Role of the Holy Spirit in Transformation
• [15:23] - True and False Disciples
• [19:08] - Doing the Will of the Father
• [23:40] - The Two Foundations: Rock and Sand
• [26:52] - Obedience in the Face of Life’s Storms
• [29:24] - The Crowd’s Response and Our Decision
• [31:05] - The Invitation: Go All In
• [33:30] - Closing Prayer and Call to Surrender

Bible Reading

Matthew 7:13-27 (ESV) — 13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV) — 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Observation Questions

1. What are the two gates and two paths that Jesus describes, and what does each one lead to? (Matthew 7:13-14; [03:38])
2. According to Jesus, how can we recognize false prophets? What illustration does He use? (Matthew 7:15-20; [10:52])
3. What is the difference between those who call Jesus “Lord” and those who actually enter the kingdom of heaven? (Matthew 7:21-23; [19:08])
4. In the story of the two builders, what is the key difference between the wise and foolish builder? (Matthew 7:24-27; [26:52])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think Jesus says that the narrow gate is hard to find and that few enter it? What does this say about following Him? ([07:17])
2. What does Jesus mean when He says, “You will recognize them by their fruits”? How does this relate to both leaders and regular believers? ([13:05])
3. Why is it not enough to simply say the right words or do impressive spiritual acts, according to Jesus? What is He looking for in His followers? ([19:08])
4. What do the storms in the parable of the two builders represent, and why is obedience to Jesus’ words so important when facing them? ([26:52])

Application Questions

1. The sermon said that many people admire the narrow path but hesitate to let go of the wide road’s comforts. Is there something in your life that you are holding onto that keeps you from fully surrendering to Jesus? What would it look like to let go of it? ([07:17])
2. When you examine the “fruit” in your life—love, joy, peace, patience, etc.—which one do you see growing, and which one do you struggle with? What is one practical step you can take this week to cultivate that fruit? ([13:05])
3. The pastor shared about times when he looked spiritual on the outside but hadn’t surrendered his heart. Have you ever found yourself doing the right things for the wrong reasons? How can you move from seeking recognition to truly seeking Jesus? ([21:50])
4. Jesus says that only those who do the will of the Father will enter the kingdom. What does doing God’s will look like in your daily life? Is there an area where you know what God wants but are struggling to obey? ([19:08])
5. Think about a recent “storm” or challenge in your life. Did it reveal anything about the foundation of your faith? How did you respond, and what might you do differently next time to stand firm? ([26:52])
6. The sermon emphasized that there is no middle ground—either we go all in with Jesus or we remain on the outside. What does “going all in” look like for you personally? Is there a next step you feel God is asking you to take? ([31:29])
7. The pastor mentioned regular self-examination as essential. How can you build a habit of honestly checking your heart and motives? Is there someone you trust who can help you with this? ([13:05])