Don't Make Any Turns

WESTSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH

PASTOR: TERRY VAUGHAN

SERMON TITLE: DON’T MAKE ANY TURNS

“For God so loved the world , that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:16-18

TEXT VERSE: PROVERBS 4:27 “TURN NOT TO THE RIGHT HAND NOR TO THE LEFT: REMOVE THY FOOT FROM EVIL.”

We’re living in a world where it seems like Christians are governed more by what’s going on around them than what’s going on in them. The Bible says that man looks upon the outward appearance but God looks upon the heart. What I mean by that is we need to always need to travel that straight and narrow way and don’t let anything turn us to the right hand nor to the left. If you’ve done that and you’ve gotten off God’s road or God’s highway or God’s path, if you’ve made the wrong turn...you need to return. Get back to the basics of following the Lord Jesus. It’s very easy for any of us to be persuaded to get out of the way and turn and make the wrong decision. Do the wrong things. You say, preacher how can that happen? It’s very simple. Usually when I’ve made the wrong turn it was self. The writer Psalms said mine enemy was within me. That’s what our problem is sometimes, we seem to want to follow ourselves instead of following the Spirit of God. There’s a lot of Christians along the way that have been led out of the way by their family. Just because mom don’t go to church, don’t mean you don’t have to go to church. A lot of moms and dads are trying to show their children how to live a good Christian life. Trying to tell them what decisions to make and what decisions not to make. But I’ve got news for you tonight. Make your own decisions by following the Lord Jesus Christ. There’s been a lot of churches that have caused people to turn out of the way. Just because you have 50 people, 5 people or 500 people, if you’re listening to them more than you are God; you’re out of God’s fellowship. I can preach it because I’ve been there. God doesn’t want us making any turns. He wants us right in His will. Learn to stand on your own two feet and ask God for things that you need. The Bible says if a man lack wisdom, let him ask it of God. The worst mistake I ever made was listening to people. I won’t do it again. I’m going to listen to what the Lord says. There have been times in my personal life when my wife has come to me or I’ve gone to her about a decision that we had to make and the first thing we do is check in with the Lord. A lot of people are running around trying to make their own decisions, do their own thing and lift themselves up. You’ve made a wrong turn. God wants you to stay in that straight and narrow way. Now look at these verses. PROVERBS 4:23 “KEEP THY HEART WITH ALL DILIGENCE; FOR OUT OF IT ARE THE ISSUES OF LIFE.” When I thought about the heart, I thought about our treasures. The Bible says where a mans treasure is, there will his heart be also. It says Don’t lay up for yourselves treasures on earth. But rather lay up for yourself treasures in Heaven. You know why I like my treasures in Heaven? Because no moth or rust or no man, woman, boy or girl can take away what God has in store for us in Glory. There’s no way you could take away what God gives us. God knows what we need tonight and He’s going to give it to us if you’ll accept it. If you’ve already turned out of the way and you keep on turning you’re going to be in bad shape. You’ll be in worse shape after you leave tonight than you were when you came in.

2 CORINTHIANS 4:7 “BUT WE HAVE THIS TREASURE IN EARTHEN VESSELS, THAT THE EXCELLENCY OF THE POWER MAY BE OF GOD, AND NOT OF US.” We have to let God be in charge and not ourselves. MATTHEW 12:35 “A GOOD MAN OUT OF THE GOOD TREASURE OF THE HEART BRINGETH FORTH GOOD THINGS: AND AN EVIL MAN OUT OF THE EVIL TREASURE BRINGETH FORTH EVIL THINGS.” We have to follow the Lord. Quit letting people, things and circumstances run your life.