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1. Pilgrim’s Progress – From the "Slough of Despond" to the "Celestial City"
2. "The path to Hell is paved with good intentions"

1. To begin the journey it is necessary that we begin on the right path
2. Put one foot in front of the other
3. Many things seek to inhibit our progress Home
4. We must walk in the light of God’s revelation

1. "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."
1. The narrow gate – to life
1. Small gate, narrow road
1. Not so easy to find
2. Not so easy to follow
2. Only a few find it – the elect
1. They trust in God’s provision along the way Home
2. They are willing to pay the price of faithfulness
2. The wide gate – to destruction
1. Wide gate, broad road
1. Easy to locate
2. Easy to follow
2. Many enter
1. In today’s language we call this "political correctness"
2. There are few, if any, boundaries (because we are all right,
   even if we think everyone else is wrong
3. Eyes to see the way, ears to hear the call
2. "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit, you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them."
1. Warning – be watchful, be on guard
1. False prophets
1. How do we discern?
1. 1 John 4:1-3
2. Jeremiah 23
2. How do we deal with it?
1. 2 Chronicles 7:14
2. What is the end of the false prophet and those that follow them
1. Jesus said that the false teacher makes the disciples worse
2. Paul speaks of the plague of false teachers/prophets in his letters
3. Jeremiah 23 tells of God’s judgment
3. "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!"
1. What road do we walk?
1. Too often we walk the path of good intentions
2. God calls us Home through Jesus
1. The path is faith and faithfulness
2. If we come by faith, God remains faithful even when we are
   faithless (that is, when we stumble and fall)
2. Are we sure of the proper direction?
1. In an age of relativism (meeting the perceived need) we need to concern ourselves with relevance (meeting the real need)
2. "When the road is long, with many a winding turn, that leads us to who knows where…"
   God’s people need to share the load of those God brings into our lives
3. Like Christian in Pilgrim’s Progress, we must move to the Celestial City (our eternal Home) and giving our lives for one another on the way
3. Do we have false security or blessed assurance?
1. Those who believe they are on the right path because they are "good people" that do good things for others will be like the Wizard of Oz stumbling over the word philanthropist (good deeds doer) and rely on a false security
1. Ephesians 2:8-10 _________________________________ 
2. Those that put their trust in the work of God through the saving work of Jesus will have blessed assurance
1. Ephesians 1:11-14

1. We are on our way Home
2. Trust in the work that was accomplished by Jesus
3. Jesus did not labor in vain
4. Matthew 11:28-30 __________________________________________________

5. Walk in the blessed assurance that because of Jesus we have found our way Home

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