Sermon Central
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Cross Roads
Contributed by Shawn Drake on May 29, 2001 (message contributor)
Summary: Each person will come to a time when they have to either take the wide or narrow path.
CROSS ROADS
Introduction:
· This summer, while on vacation, we were looking for a lake that we had seen on the map. We took a well graveled road for about 10 miles and then came upon a sign that showed the lake only being two miles away. While sitting at this cross road, I noticed that the road to the lake was very narrow, steep, and rocky. We had to decide if we were going to just go back or take this road. Being adventurous, I decided we could make this little 2 mile drive, so we began our new journey in our 4 wheeling mini-van.
This road continued to become narrower, steeper, and more rocky as we traveled very slowly. There came a point that I had no idea as to what we should do. After about 25 minutes of driving, we came upon a jeep with four people in it. I asked them how much farther to the lake, and the woman laughed and said, it is only about another 1/2 of a mile, but the drive is harder than it has been to this point for you. With this information I decided we better turn around and give up, but guess what? There was no way for me to turn around and I sure could not back down this mountain. So I had no choice but to continue on. After about 20 minutes more of driving and frazzled nerves, we reached the lake and there I saw one of the most beautiful scenes I have ever seen. There sat the lake surrounded by beautiful mountains. If we had given up, I would have never seen this lake.
· In many ways, life is this way. The easy road is usually not the correct road. Many times in life, we will come to a cross roads and we have to choose one or the other.
The text this evening shows us two paths and where they both lead.
Let’s read our text: Psalm 1
I. Man’s Road
Matthew 7:13-14 (NKJV)
13"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it."
14"Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."
A. This road is easier to travel.
1. God has shown us what is right and wrong, but it is
easier to go the same way everyone else is going.
2. Most people do what is acceptable to man, not God.
3. This road is wide and highly traveled, it is popular.
a. Remember Moses sending out the 12 spies to
look into the Promised Land, and what did they say when they returned.
b. 10 of them said, "This road is too dangerous,
there are too many road blocks and things that
we cannot handle."
4. Just look at your papers or watch the news.
a. Watch a couple of popular television shows or
movies and see if I am not right.
b. Hey, what’s the use of a little profanity or a
little nudity going to hurt?
c. Remember when those things were unheard of?
d. But now they are acceptable!
e. Why? Simply because this road is becoming
easier and easier to travel.
f. As our road sign says, "Trouble often starts out
as fun".
g. There is also something else we must notice
though, every road has its final destination.
h. Where does this road lead to?
B. It leads to destruction.
Psalm 1:4-6 (NKJV)
4"The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away."
5"Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous."
6"For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish."
1. The ungodly are blown away like chaff.
a. Chaff is the waste, the useless part of the grain
after it is harvested.
b. Chaff just lays there until the wind blows it
somewhere or it decomposes.
2. The ungodly will be judged in the end, but they will
not be able to stand through it.
a. The lost man will live eternally in hell, in torment and pain.
24"Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able."
25"When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ’Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ’I do not know you, where you are from’,"
26"then you will begin to say, ’We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’"
