Transformation Not Just Participation Series

Navigation the Journey series

#1 Transformation not just Participation

Damascus road experience

Introduction- Good morning and welcome to Rosedale!

Prayer-

This morning we will be starting a series called ‘Navigating the Journey.”

What I hope we will see is that we only have an appointed time on this earth.

The time between our first breath and our last breath.

We will then immediately spend eternity either in heaven with the Lord our Hell separated from Him.

What we do between the dashes determines where it will be.

There is a false hope that all go to heaven and that a loving God wouldn’t send anyone to Hell. Part of that is true, we send ourselves there by not accepting the gift of salvation provided by Jesus Christ on the cross.

We do not all go to heaven- if we did then there would have been no need for Jesus to go to the cross and die for our sins.

In this series, I hope we can see that from beginning to end, there are some pivotal points in our journey of life where we make critical decisions that will affect eternity for us.

To die and never make a commitment to Christ is to say to the Lord that we have no need for Jesus and that what he has done is of no value to you.

Heaven is made up of people who have made a relationship with Christ- those who have asked Him into their lives intentionally- not perfect people none of us are perfect. But they are people who know that the only way to get to heaven is through Jesus Christ- there is no other way!

So let’s start this journey, it may seem boring but each one of us is born into this world. That really is the start for each of us and from that point on, the journey of each of us is a little different but we must get to the same markers in life and commit to Jesus.

Most people believe that we are born good people and some go bad- we are not a piece of sushi that is good when you eat it right away and spoiled and rotten if you don’t keep it in the refrigerator.

We are born sinners because of the “sin nature.”

We are not good people headed down a path. We are sinners because of the fall of Adam and Eve and are all in need of a savior to redeem us.

A lot of people believe that there are many ways and avenues to get to heaven- Jesus Himself said that there is only one way and that is through Him.

Obstacle number one is to believe that you are not too bad! You are better than so and so that is why the Lord will somehow let you into heaven. We are not in comparison with each other, we are in comparison with a holy God and none of us measure up when placed against the holiness of God.

Obstacle number two is that we feel we have excuses for why we have not come to Christ. Some say at a later date and play Russian roulette with their life and hope at the last minute before they take their last breath that they will make it right with God or that God will somehow forgive them and give them a “get out of jail free” card. That the good we do will outweigh the bad and you will be let in.

Obstacle number three is that they have been hurt by someone in the church and that will be their get out of jail free card. The church did not hurt you, human sinful people hurt you and we are all hurtful people able to hurt others if we are not carful and sensitive to others.

Jesus very clearly tells us that it is better to receive him as lord at a young age when you are able to put your faith in him before you put your faith in your stuff or your money or what family you were born into.

Sometimes being born into a religious family is not a guarantee because you have heard so much about God that when you are old enough to make your own decisions, you can’t wait to break away.

Religious people without a relationship with the Lord are people who believe that they can earn their salvation by works, by their education, by what family they are born into.

Just because you are a preacher or preacher’s kid does not guarantee a mansion in heaven, it is done by a relationship and no other way.

The text this morning is about Saul of Taurus, the Pharisee who hated Christians! Who did everything humanly possible to stop the movement of God.