Pilgrim's Progress, A Review of Men and Boy's Discipleship Meeting, Part 1

Pilgrim's Progress, A Review of Men and Boy's Discipleship Group

Part 1

On Sunday nights, several men and boys are meeting in a gracious saint's home to discuss John Bunyan's monumental book, Pilgrim's Progress. Anyway, we spent two and three Sundays ago watching the film version released in 1978 (One of Liam Neeson's first movie credits, if not the first! Check it out at this link). Then yesterday we began slowly reading through the book, including Scripture references. 

The main character (thus far unnamed) begins reading the Bible, and becomes convicted that his city--the City of Destruction--is soon to be (you guessed it) destroyed. He chooses to warn his wife and children to "flee from the wrath to come" (Matthew 3:7), but they believe he's gone mad; then they eventually grow angry with him for what he and the Bible are saying about them (most likely they are sinners in need of a Savior - Romans 3:10-18). 

One day walking through a field, he cries out to God, "What must I do to be saved?" (If you're curious about that, read Acts 16:30-31) God answers by sending him an Evangelist! They talk about his need to escape destruction, and Evangelist encourages him to head to a wicket gate in the distance. Although this soon-to-be pilgrim doesn't see the gate, he is to follow the light and trust in God to get him there.

Next Sunday, we will read about the pilgrim heading off and finding that the path to the wicket gate is far from easy.

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Pilgrim's Progress is an allegory about the Christian life. The Bible warns us about what it means to live without personally trusting in Christ. Not only to trust in Him for salvation, but for everyday life. We all are great sinners in need of a gracious, generous, and powerful Savior. All we can do is throw ourselves at the mercies of Almighty God to help us in our greatest of needs. And He has answered with His Son, Jesus Christ, with His death and resurrection.

The wicket gate represents the narrow gate Jesus taught about in the Sermon on the Mount: "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matthew 7:13-14).