Road Signs For Life - Part Two Series

Last week we discovered the first three road signs for life.

When you are faced with which direction you need to go, when you are faced with a decision in life, God does not leave us without a clue. He has laid down some powerful guidelines to point us down the road we need to travel.

Several years ago author Scott Peck wrote a book entitled, The Road Less Traveled. If I were going to write a book based on these sermons I would call it:

The Road Signs Most Often Ignored. The subtitle would be “How We Got Ourselves Into the Messes We are In!”

When we fail to follow the road signs of life we find ourselves places we never wanted to be and where God never intended us to go.

These road signs for life represent six powerful questions to ask whenever you are about to make a decision or choose a direction for your life.

The first road sign was the "Directional Sign". It pointed to the question, “What does the Bible say?” Is my decision in line with what God says in His Word?

The second road sign was the "Keep Right Sign" , honesty . It asks the simple question, “Is what I am about to do honest? Is the direction I am taking honest?” It deals with the integrity principle. Would I want others to know that I have made this decision?

The last road sign we looked at last week was the “Construction Sign”. It asked the question, “Will this decision build me up or tear me down?” Is the direction I am about to take the best, not just good, is it the best?

Following these three road signs will keep us pretty straight. But sometimes they are not enough. We need more direction, and the Bible supplies us with further guidance.

This morning we want to look at the final three road signs of life that will keep us heading in the direction God has planned for us.

The fourth road sign for life addresses the bondage principle:

THE NO EXIT SIGN

This sign asks the question, "Is there a way out?" If I follow this direction is there a way out? Will this decision put me into a position where I’m bound?

Some things seem very attractive, harmless at first – but very quickly instead of us controlling them, they control us!

1 Corinthians 6:12 tells us, “Even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything.”

Will what I am about to do become addicting? Will it control my life?

It doesn’t matter if it’s “acceptable” for others. It doesn’t matter if it’s popular. If it’s addicting, if it’s controlling the Bible says I must not become a slave to anything.”

You know the very first command in the ten commandments says, “Do not worship any other gods besides me”. He set this as the first commandment because He knew how easy it would be for us to make other gods. He knew how quickly we would become addicted to our idols!

You know idols don’t have to be made of stone or wood – an idol can be anything that gets in the way of our relationship to God. And it’s those things that control us.

I’m told there are over 2000 classified addictions. You can get addicted to almost anything.

For me addiction came in a clear sixteen ounce bottle called "Diet Dr. Pepper". I would slow down when I passed a “Pepper” billboard. I would look for the “Pepper” ads in the paper. I couldn’t get through the day without my “Pepper”. I mean, “Wouldn’t you like to be a Pepper too?” Seriously, it doesn’t matter what the addiction – it becomes an idol and often its worshipped, treasured, thought about more than your relationship to Jesus Christ.

The point: you always need to ask the question, where will this decision take me? Will it hold me in chains? Will it hold me in bondage?

The Bible tells us we can do anything we want if the Bible doesn’t say we can’t – but frankly, some things are too easy to get addicted to – so don’t!

Road sign #4 – No Exit – Is this something that will keep me in chains.

Question: Could this decision lead to addiction?

Now let’s look at the fifth road sign for life:

THE SIGHT SEEING SIGN

This sign asks the question – what will others do when they see me? Will what I’m doing hurt someone else?

You see, whether you like it or not, people are watching you.

You spouse is watching you. Your kids are watching you. Your neighbors, relatives, friends are all watching you. People you don’t even know are watching you. And they often make decisions in their own lives based on what they see you doing?