A Narrow Path

An Easter Journey

“A Narrow Path”

Matthew 7:13-14

{Audio: https://mega.nz/#!3d8HHLKS!0KAwi4RRC3pCTP0tKKt2jo08NG82ntko8n7suStnMOs}

It is said, and I believe it to be true, that it’s a good thing to know where you’re going, especially in this age of electronic navigation, because what I have found is that Seri is known to lie, and when you confront her on her misguided communications, she gets all huffy and full of attitude. And truthfully, how can we argue with a non-entity computer program. First, it doesn’t work, second people look at you as if you’re insane, and third, Seri or whichever program you have just shuts you down. (I would say it’s kind of like a wife, but I wouldn’t dare go there!)

On one occasion, several of my pastors from Las Vegas were heading back from a retreat up in Lake Tahoe. As they were traveling back late at night they missed the turn off. Well, a couple of hours later, one of them woke up and asked the driver where they were, because the area looked a lot like Sacramento, not Barstow. Well, it took them half a day to get back on track.

And then there was the time when I followed Seri’s directions that ended me up at a brick wall, not Pacific Life College.

To prevent mishaps like these, it’s a good thing to sit down prior to the trip with a map in hand, or on the computer screen and map out the directions yourself. Then you can trust these on-board navigation devices.

Now, I tell you this to get at this point, and that is, life is filled with choices. In fact, you had to make a choice of faith over fear, to get up out of bed and come to church, and then the choice to follow through with that choice and actually get dressed, get in the car, and come. There were other choices as well, like when to get up, whether or not to take a shower, which I am glad you decided to do. We had to make the choice as to what to wear, what the children would wear, what to eat, and then whether or not following and trusting God at His word is worth it.

Each day we’re confronted with choices. Some have little impact, while others significantly change the course of our lives. In an article I just read today, it says that the average person makes around 750,000 decisions in a lifetime. So, we’re all accustomed to making choices every day, and not just a few choices, but a supermarket full of them, each with their own special ingredients.

Talking about supermarkets, think of the choices we make when we walk up and down the aisles.

• Take toothpaste: Years ago it used to be between buying Crest and Colgate. Now there over 15 major manufacturers with each making multiple types. Now it’s extra whitening, tartar control, complete care, baking soda, gel, paste, gel and paste combined, antibacterial, flavored, toothpaste for sensitive teeth, and then there are the different sizes and shapes of the containers. And that’s just Crest.

• How about shampoo: talk about options. Botanicals this, herbal that, citrus enhanced, salon quality, extra body, maximum shine, increased volume, or shampoo for dry, brittle, greasy, limp, fine, or oily hair. There’s dandruff shampoo, shampoo for curly, straight, frizzy, course, or colored hair. Personally, I’d like a shampoo that will just clean my hair, and if it can re-grow hair, all the better.

• And then we have all these cold remedies. One relieves headaches, but does nothing for congestion. One relives congestion, but does nothing for sinus pressure or headaches. Then there are those that do six different things, except the one thing that you need it to do. And by the time we finish looking at all the options, the cold has run its course.

In fact, we live in an age of choices, and the most critical choice we can ever possibly make is about Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God, because this choice is what determines our eternal destiny.

And this is the choice Jesus is asking for us to make.

Which road in life will we take? Will be take the wide and flashy way that leads to destruction, or will we take the less noticeable and the more unremarkable way that leads to everlasting life? This is a choice that is before each and every one of us, or shall I say, before each and every human being.

That’s right! I said it! There is only one ways to heaven and an eternal life with God. There aren’t a multitude of various ways that the world and religion continues to propagate. Instead there is just one way, and it’s the narrow way, but at the same time, there is only one way to hell, and it’s wide and accommodating and will allow just about everything and everyone upon it.