“THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED”

“Crossroads of Life”

Intro.

1.  “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”  (Yogi Berra)

2.  We all stand at crossroads during our lives:  The paths we choose have life-changing effects (“Road Less Traveled”, Robert Frost).  Psa. 25:4-5

3.  Choices:  Josh. 24:15; 1 Kgs. 18:21; Jer. 6:16; 7:23-24; Matt. 7:13-14.

  a.  We become a product of our decisions:  Shape & mold us.

  b.  Choices of service; who / what we will follow; values; goals…

  c.  Our choices have eternal consequences.

4.  Prov. 4:26-27 – Ponder the path of your feet; avoid evil; choose right.

 

I.  THE PATHS BEFORE US – Jer. 6:16 (42:3).

  A.  The Highway of Holiness – Isa. 35:8 (difficult way, Matt. 7:14).

    1.  Path of life – Psa. 16:11.

    2.  Paths of righteousness – Psa. 23:3.

    3.  Paths of the Lord – Psa. 25:10.

    4.  Path of Your commandments – Psa. 119:35.

    5.  Every good path – Prov. 2:9.

    6.  The way of goodness – Prov. 2:20.

    7.  Right paths, Prov. 4:11.

    8.  He will teach us His ways…walk in His paths – Isa. 2:3.

    9.  The way of the just is uprightness – Isa. 26:7.

  10.  The way of peace – Isa. 59:8.

*11.  Choice:  Make straight paths for your feet – Heb. 12:13.

  B.  The Way of Destruction – Matt. 7:13 (broad way).

    1.  The path of sinners – Psa. 1:1.

    2.  Devious paths – Prov. 2:15.

    3.  The way of the fool – Prov. 12:15.

    4.  The way of the unfaithful (transgressor) – Prov. 13:15.

    5.  The way that seems right – Prov. 14:12.

    6.  The way of the wicked – Prov. 15:9.

*  7.  Choice:  You should no longer way this path, Eph. 4:17.

 

II.  SOME CROSSROADS OF LIFE.

  A.  Will You Obey the Gospel & Become a Christian?  (2 Cor. 6:2)

    1.  Do you know you are a sinner?  Do you want to be saved?  Do you know only Jesus can save you? 

    2.  Which path will you take? – Acts 2:36-38, 41; 4:4; 8:35-39; or… Acts 13:45; 17:32

  B.  Will We Live in Sin or Above Sin? – Eph. 2:1-2; Rom. 6:1-2, 4-6

    1.  Moral crossroads:  1 Pet. 4:1-4.

    2.  Will we befriend the world, or God?  Jas. 4:4

    3.  Will we live under punishment or in eternal life?  2 Pet. 2:9-10; 1 Pet. 2:9-12

  C.  Will We Pay the Price it Costs to be a Disciple of Jesus?  Lk. 14:25-33

    1.  Will we choose truth of the gospel before:  Loved ones?  Personal advantage?  Promotion at work?  Pleasure?  Leisure?  Favor of others?

    2.  Self-denial at great personal sacrifice? – cf. Ezra 10:1-4

      a.  cf. MDR e-mail:  Repenting of an unlawful remarriage.

      b.  Repent of every sin!  (Cf. Corinthian church at crossroads:  2 Cor. 2:9; 7:9-11)

  D.  Will You Remember God when you are Young?  Eccl. 11:9-12:1

    1.  Your clothing, entertainment, respect for parents & elders?

    2.  Choosing your career:  Will you be a faithful Christian & promote righteousness?

    3.  In the person you will date & marry?  1 Cor. 15:33-34; Matt. 19:6

  E.  Will I Endure to the End?  Matt. 10:22; Heb. 10:36 (12:1); 2 Tim. 4:7-8

    1.  Don’t rest on past accomplishments to insure your present & future spiritual state.

    2.  When I get feeble in mind & body will I still do what I can?  (2 Cor. 4:16-18; cf. Psa. 71:16) Tit. 2:2-3

 

Conclusion

1.  Psa. 139:23-24:  23  Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;  24  And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

2.  Jesus is the Way who guides our feet on the way of peace, light & salvation – Jno. 14:6 (Lk. 1:79; Jno. 8:12).

3.  Which road will you take?

 

“WALKING ON THE KING’S HIGHWAY”

“TRAVELING DOWN SOME BIBLE ROADS”

 

Intro.

1.  The King’s Highway:

A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray. (Isaiah 35:8)

 ”Christ is a highway…cast up by sovereign grace, which is raised above the mire and dirt of sin, and carries over it, and from it; a way visible and manifest, clearly pointed to and described in the everlasting Gospel; it is the King’s highway, the highway of the King of kings, which he has ordered and appointed, and is common to all his subjects, high and low, rich and poor, stronger or weaker believers, all may walk in this way; it is an old beaten path, which saints in all ages, from the beginning of the world, have walked in; it is the good old way, the more excellent, the most excellent one; all obstructions and impediments are removed, cast in by sin, Satan, the law, and the world; nor is anyone to be stopped and molested in this way, and all in it shall come safe to their journey’s end:…”  (John Gill, from ONLINE BIBLE).

2.  Lk. 1:78-79 – Christ came to direct us in the way of peace. (Jno. 14:6)

3.  Matt. 7:13-14 – We choose to walk that way (road).

4.  Bible roads teach us about how we should travel the King’s Highway.

I.  THE ROAD TO CALVARY – Jno. 19:16-20; Lk. 23:26-33; Heb. 13:12.

  A.  A Road Of Reproach – Jno. 19:16-17.

  B.  A Road Of Sorrow, Suffering & Surrender – Lk. 23:26-27.

    1.  Via Dolorosa (the Sorrowful Way) – Crowded with Passover visitors, opponents & sympathizers of Jesus., this road led to Golgotha (Calvary, place of a skull) outside yet near the city–cite of execution.

    2.  See the suffering, sinless One: Body torn & bleeding, deserted by friends & justice, humiliated & carrying his instrument of death until Simon of Cyrene is compelled to carry it after him.

    3.  Here Jesus surrenders himself to death for our sake!

  C.  A Road Of Warning – Lk. 23:28-31.

 

Lessons:

  1.  We must walk this road with Jesus bearing our cross & bearing His reproach – Lk. 9:23; Heb. 13:13.

  2.  Do not be ashamed of being a Christian! – Mk. 8:36-38

    a.  Walk this road with humility – Acts 5:41.

    b.  Walk this road with joy – 1 Pet. 4:12-16.

  3.  If we don’t walk this road – Condemned & forever lost! – Rom. 2:6-11

II.  THE ROAD TO EMMAUS – Lk. 24:13-35.

  A.  A Road Of Doubt – 24:19-24.

    1.  Evidence before them: Jesus a Prophet, mighty in deed (miracles) & word before God & the people; Condemned to death; testimony of women & angel; no body & empty tomb.

    2.  They wanted to believe, but were not yet willing to accept the evidence before them!

  B.  It Became A Road Of Hope – 24:21, 27, 32, 35.

    -Their doubt was overcome with a Bible lesson! (v. 25-27)   Scripture produces faith (Rom. 10:17).

 

Lessons:

  1.  Jesus & His gospel turns doubt into hope – Rom. 5:1-2; Gal. 5:5; Heb. 11:1.

  2.  Secure your faith by studying & believing the Bible! – 2 Tim. 2:15

III.  THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS – Acts 9:1-19; 22:3-16; 26:12-20.

  A.  A Road Of Persecution & Unbelief – 26:9-12; cf. 1 Tim. 1:13.

  B.  A Road Of Conversion – 9:6, 9, 11, 18; 22:16.

    1.  Paul repented (changed his mind & his life) – stopped his sin!

    2.  Paul called upon the name of the Lord (baptized).

    3.  Paul remained faithful to Christ – 9:19-22.

 

Lessons:

  1.  When we live in sin and unbelief we fight against God – 9:5 (26:14).

  2.  All the sins of the past can be forgiven – 1 Tim. 1:14-16.

  3.  When sin is forgiven we must stop practicing it & be faithful to Christ – Col. 3:9-10.

IV.  THE ROAD TO JERICHO – Lk. 10:29-37.

    -(Road from Jerusalem to Jericho is 18 miles & descends 3,500 ft.; Desolate mountains & ravines)

  A.  A Road Of Choice – 10:31-33.

    1.  All three made a choice when confronted with needy man.

    2.  Each man’s choice was consistent with the kind of heart they had.

    3.  Samaritan had already chosen to be compassionate, so his choice was to be a friend to the helpless man & showed him mercy – 10:36-37.

  B.  A Road Of Service – 10:33-35.

 

Lessons:

  1.  We all make choices to serve or deny service – Lk. 10:30-31; Gal. 6:10.

  2.  Whether we choose to serve others shows the kind of heart we have – Lk. 10:27.

  3.  Serving others is not done to be seen by others (it is often private) – Matt. 6:1-4.

 

Conclusion

1.  The road to heaven — the King’s Highway — takes us to Calvary, to Emmaus, to Damascus & to Jericho.

2.  Are you travelling the King’s Highway?