Matthew 7:13-23

1 Samuel 13:5-15

When we started addressing the idols of this age a few weeks ago the one idol I find myself daily confronted with is subjectivism. I hear it in my speech, see it in my writing and recognize it in my thoughts. And I shutter to think how dominant it has been in my life. I recognize now how subjectivism has guided my approach to ministry. I was never a crowd follower. When I was a teenager, if something was popular I might consider it but if it became too popular I would reject it, based on the fact that it was too popular. Such is a rather odd way to evaluate fads and trends, but it was my subjective way. I have continued that approach in terms of ministry. When I was a youth minister I never had a large youth group. From a parish that averaged 300 in attendance the youth group never broke 40. Comparatively there were other youth groups in the same area that would average close to 100 at a mid-week service. We never did what they did to attract a crowd. Our activities focused on Bible study and sincere conversation, which was not appealing to the masses. I wonder today how much my tendency to steer away from what is popular led me to the Reformed Episcopal Church. After all folks, we are not one of the hottest things going. In fact, the Reformed Episcopal Church has never been popular. From its beginnings only a few stepped out from the Episcopal Church to join. Parishes in the Reformed Episcopal Church started small and have remained small, especially compared to the so-called mega churches we see today. Even Bishop Cummins Church in its most prominent days never saw the numbers in attendance that these mega community churches see.

I have heard a little of what those on the outside of this Church say about us, about you. They say they don’t get it. Why would you want to be here, they wonder. We have written prayers. We are formal. We don’t sing contemporary songs over and over again. We chant. We use an Old English Prayer Book. We don’t have a group for seniors, a group for widows, a group for widowers, a group for singles, a group for divorced singles, a group for college age, a group for the newly married, a group for parents of toddlers, a group for parents of teenagers and a group for those who do not have a group. The most obvious thing we do not have is a throng of people coming in every Sunday. Finally, to top it all off, the preacher acts like he knows what he is talking about. Why would you want to be here? I believe you want to be here, at least I hope this is the main reason, (although after listening to the list of things we do not have that others do you may be questioning why you are here), the main reason is they have been influenced by the idol of pragmatism and you have not.

Pragmatism is a philosophy of life that focuses on a goal while using almost any means to achieve the goal. The means are not important, only achieving the goal. And the goal is not in the future, it is the here and now. Pragmatism is opposed to idealism. Pragmatism is practical. Pragmatism says if it works then it is good. An everyday example of pragmatism is the use of Duck tape. Duck tape is pragmatism personified with benign results. Duck tape does not look pretty, but it works to fix many things. Another everyday example that is not so benign is seen in a common parenting practice. To keep a young child from throwing a tantrum a parent might try to distract the child with a prize, a reward or bribe. Because the child stops screaming to receive a piece of candy, for instance, the parent continues the practice each time the child fusses resulting in a child learning how to bribe his parents rather than developing self-control.

Pragmatism can also be seen in contemporary churches. What some churches have discovered is that when you offer programs for kids, popular music to listen to and easy sermons to hear the result is drawing more people. Because drawing more people is the goal these churches take the programs, music and easy listening sermons to the extreme all the while defending what they are doing by pointing to the end result. "It works," they say. "God is blessing," they say. Such a conclusion is a result of embracing the philosophy of pragmatism. To reveal the absurdity of the conclusion that God is blessing because of the number of people attending we only need to look at two other religious groups, the Mormons and the Muslims. The Mormon Church sent out close to 60,000 missionaries into 120 different countries last year and claims over 300,000 converts. The faith of Islam claims a growth rate over the last fifty years of 235%. This growth rate, mind you, is not linked to new converts but to the birth rate of third world countries that are controlled by political Muslim clerics. Nonetheless, pragmatically speaking, the numbers supposedly reveal that God is blessing both the Mormons and the Muslims. Because each of these groups denies the divinity of Jesus, the Son of God, there has to be another explanation, and the Scripture provides one.

From the New Testament reading from the Gospel according to St. Matthew, we heard Jesus say that we are to enter through the narrow gate. One reason for us to enter through the narrow gate is that the only other option is for us to go through the wide gate for there are only two gates. The wide gate opens to a broad road and that road leads to destruction; eternal destruction. The choice might seem rather easy, for simply stated, the narrow gate leads to heaven and the wide gate leads to hell. But wait, we are told that there are many people who enter through the wide gate. In fact, by using the word "many" for the wide gate and "few" for the narrow gate we can conclude that more people enter hell than enter heaven. To find and then enter the narrow gate a person has to go against the "tide" as they say, or go against the direction most people are going. Going in the opposite direction of a crowd is neither physically nor socially easy. Just for the fun of it, try going up a ramp at Raven’s Stadium after a Raven’s game. Progress is slow, you cannot keep a constant pace and you will probably be cursed at as you go, especially if you are wearing a Steelers jersey. It would be much easier for you to turn around and go the same direction as most everyone else. Such is the scenario that Jesus is presenting when he says of the narrow way that only a few find it. By saying, "find it," he is not describing it as something that is being hid but something that those who wish to go to heaven must look for against the physical and social tide of people going the opposite way.

As Jesus continues he warns us that the narrow way is also blocked with false prophets who would tell us to go a different way than the one that leads to heaven. In the end, he warns to all who have ears to hear, that there will be people who believe they have been going the narrow way when all the while they were on the road that leads to destruction. Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven." This should trouble us for we might wonder how we are to know whether we are on the right road. One of the more simple ways to know is to examine whom you are obeying.

In John Bunyan’s classic tale "Pilgrims Progress," the main character named Christian is making his way to the Celestial City, which of course is symbolic of heaven. After being freed of his burden by humbling himself before the cross of Christ, Christian was making his way upon the road when two strangers jumped over the wall to his left and came at him. The name of one was Formalist, the other Hypocrisy. Christian asked them where they were going. They answered that they had come from the city of Vain-glory and were on their way to the Heavenly City. "Then why, Christian asked, did you jump over the wall instead of coming through the narrow gate? Did you not know that he who climbs in another way is a thief and a robber?" Formalist and Hypocrisy laughed at Christian and explained that the narrow gate was a long way around and they have heard of many of their countryman taking this short cut for years. Christian replied, "But its breaking the rules of the journey." "What’s it matter how we did it, said the two men. If we are in we are in." The three walked together for a while until they came to the Hill called Difficulty. Formalist chose to go left instead of climbing the hill. He did not know that the road he chose was called "danger" and he lost his way forever. Hypocrisy also chose not to climb the hill but go an easier way and went right. Little did he know that he chose the road called Destruction where he stumbled, fell and rose no more. Christian, unlike the others, chose to climb the Hill called Difficulty because that is the way the narrow road went.

The way of pragmatism says it does not matter how it is done. The way of the Heavenly kingdom says how it is done matters most of all.

When King Saul prepared for battle against the Philistines he was told to wait for Samuel so that Samuel could present the appropriate offering to God and ensure a blessing upon the campaign. Because Samuel was delayed many of Saul’s men became restless. Some even began to desert their posts. Not wanting to be at less than full strength Saul, in a panic, presented the offering to the Lord himself. Such seemed like a very practical thing to do. Samuel was not there when he said he would be. The men were growing restless. It seemed to be Saul’s only choice, but on the other hand the Law restricts who can present sacrificial offerings to the Lord. Only the priests could do so. Samuel was a priest and Saul was not. A defense lawyer would argue for Saul referring to the limited choices he had and the good intentions that were in his heart. The reasons for Saul’s departure from what God had commanded were pragmatic. The means justified the ends. The benefits were immediate and that is what mattered most. At least it mattered most to Saul. That is not what mattered most to God.

When Samuel arrives it is evident what Saul has done. Saul’s explanation is pragmatic. Samuel’s rebuke is harsh. This instance is the beginning of the end of Saul’s reign as King over Israel. The reason the rebuke is harsh is in the words of Samuel directed to Saul at the end of vs. 14, "because you have not kept the Lord’s command."

That Saul did not obey the Lord's command is obvious. God gave specific instructions about offerings. Those instructions were not obeyed and the culpability fell to Saul. Other instances of disobedience against the Lord’s commands might not be so obvious. It is evident that there are churches that do not believe they are disobeying God’s commandments when they organize their worship services and their ministries primarily based on the goal of drawing the largest crowd possible. But God did give commandments about worship. God said that we should worship him in Spirit and in Truth. God said that a broken and contrite heart he would not despise. God said that ministers are not to use deception nor distort the Word of God but set forth the Word of God before men plainly.

When God first called Israel to worship as described in Exodus chapter 24 he ordered the worship in a manner that was most pleasing to him. He called Moses to hear his law on behalf of the people. He then called a group of Elders to come closer to aid Moses and the people. When God spoke his word through Moses to the people the people were to respond in agreement that they would abide by what God had said. After the people made a verbal covenant with God Moses presented a sacrificial offering as a symbol of the Covenant made. The sacrifice was then followed by a meal. From this time forward the same worship outline was followed in the Temple and local synagogues. When the Christians began worshipping in the first century a similar outline was followed for the simple yet important reason that God has never changed his instructions from that first day of formal worship up to today. That is why we follow the principle pattern of God speaking and his people responding. That is why we confess our sins every Sunday and receive God’s forgiveness by the blood of Christ. That is why we eat the Lord’s Supper on a regular basis.

Such a pattern of worship is not popular, as you know. It is unlike what the people of the modern culture want. It does not draw a crowd. But, it is obedient. It is the worship of God that you find through the narrow gate. Does that matter? Pragmatically the answer is "no." For God the answer is "yes" because it matters most.

With the idol of pragmatism out of our way it is for us to view success or the blessing of God through new eyes. With pragmatism removed we are to see success in terms of obedience to God not by crowds gathered or number of items sold. We can identify the hand of God upon a man or ministry not by the fruit of multiplicity but godliness.

If many follow the road to destruction and few follow the road to heaven pragmatism would have us conclude that Jesus failed because numerically speaking Hell will have a greater population than Heaven. Jesus, of course, did not fail. He died for the souls of those whom God has chosen him to die for. Those he died for are to view the world around them not in terms of what works but what God has commanded.