DANGEROUS INTERSECTIONS OF LIFE
By
Jerry Falwell
CROSSROADS/PIVOTAL POINTS/EPICS
A. INTRODUCTION
Continuing the sermon on what does it mean to finish well. Today, I am looking at the crossroads in our life that affect the rest of our life. I call these pivotal points or epics.
What is a crossroad?
1. We are faced with a crisis, decision, or an experience that will affect the rest of our life.
2. A crucial time of God’s dealing with us.
3. Will curtail our future use or enhance/open up our future use.
4. Becomes an “indicator” of the direction for the rest of our life.
5. At the end of life, we can trace our life back to that one point in time.
B. EVERYONE HAS TWO TO SIX CROSSROADS
1. Disqualified: a person is rendered useless.
2. Limiting: a person can still be used but not as much.
3. A New Door: the person enters a higher level of effectiveness.
4. Step-following: a person continues to be used, but this crossroads lifts them to a higher level.
C. DISQUALIFYING
1. Saul’s advantages in serving God. Saul prophesied with the prophets and was humble. When they looked for him he was hiding in the baggage. Early in his reign he won several battles and wanted God’s blessing before battles and wanted to sacrifice to the Lord.
2. Saul’s self-will. He waited seven days for Samuel and then intruded into the priest office and sacrificed to God. Samuel told him, “Thou hast done foolishly. Thou hast not kept the commandments of the Lord” (I Samuel 13:13).
3. Saul’s incomplete obedience. God told him to completely destroy the Amalekites, but Saul saved Agag the king, and the best spoils as a reward for his soldiers and an offering to God. God told him, “Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the Lord” (I Samuel 15:19).
God’s reason for judgment - “Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice” (I Samuel 15:22).
4. Results of disqualification.
a. God appointed young sixteen year old David.
b. The Spirit of God left Saul.
c. He became a neurotic, persecute by an evil spirit, i.e. demons.
d. Misdirected: spent sixteen years chasing David, rather than fighting the Philistines.
e. Consulted with a witch for the future rather than praying to God. He tried to kill his son.
f. Defeated in battle and committed suicide.
D. LIMITING CROSSROADS
This decision limits what we can do in life. We never become great because of this decision.
“For Demas hath forsaken me, for having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessolonica” (II Timothy 4:10)
Demas was originally in good favor with Paul. Paul spoke well of him. “Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas greet you” (Colossians 4:14). “There salute thee Epaphras, Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas” (Philemon 24)
What did he have going for him?
1. Demas had good friends, Mark, Luke, and the other disciples of Paul. Demas had a good environment, he was with Paul as a disciple and was counted as a disciple.
2. He had a good mentor, Paul.
3. Demas had a good message. He was sent to preach the gospel. Demas had a good goal, Paul expected much of him but in the time of crisis when Paul needed him, Demas left him because, “having loved this present world” (II Timothy 4:10)
4. Characteristics of his choice:
a. Untimely because Paul needed him.
b. Wrong purpose because it was for the world.
c. Wrong motivated because he had the wrong love.
E. NEW DOORS
Certain men come to crossroads in their life, and make a choice that determines their whole life. Let me tell you about these crossroads.
1. There are usually more than one; there are usually two to six forks in the road.
2. There are excruciating and extremely difficult decisions. Never easy.
3. Usually there are some dangers on both sides, and so there are warnings with the decision.
4. We do not always understanding the eternal implications of a decision.
5. We have to climb over a barrier to make that decision.
Last week I described these barriers:
1. Money.
2. Power.
3. Pride.
4. Things.
5. Sex.
6. Maintenance/no growth/ resting.
F. CHARACTERISTICS OF NEW DOORS.
1. Reversal in life. Sometimes the crossroad will result in brokeness, such as Isaiah who saw the Lord and cried out, “Woe is me” (????) Mary, when the angel challenged her with the birth of Christ said, “Be it unto me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38). Yieldedness.
2. New Direction. “Sometimes this is choosing a new path, choosing a new direction. Young people today call it a paradigm shift. It is a new focus in life. The Apostle Paul’s new door was when he had to stop persecuting the church, become converted and enter the church. He had to stop preaching the Law, and begin preaching grace.
3. A faith exploit. Certain people had to step out on faith and trust God as never before. When Peter was in the boat, he faced a crossroad. When Jesus said, “Come” he had to step out of the boat and walk on water, a whole new experience. When Moses was tending sheep he had to go and tell Pharoah to “Let God’s people go.”
G. ANOTHER STEP
There are many crossroads in life that do not take us through a new door into a new kind of service. Rather they take us a step higher. Usually in life there are more than one “steps higher.” These can be identified by :
1. Sequential - each one takes us higher.
2. Warning - if we do not go higher, we take a step downward.
3. Unknown - we may not know at the moment all of the dangers or possibilities available.
4. Predicative - they determine the rest of our life.
Illustration: Moses passed many crossroads or pivotal points in his life. Most of them he moved into a higher level of service. Some of them he failed.
[need a subpoint????
1. Chose against Egypt. “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharoah’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:24-27).
2. The Burning Bush: Moses chose to give up his shepherd’s way, go back to Egypt where he was a wanted man, and lead God’s people into the promise land.
3. Fasting on Mt. Sinai: to get the 10 Commandments and the Law for God’s people.
4. Intercessory Prayer. “If thy presence do not go with me, carry us up not hence” (Exodus 33:15). “I beseech thee, show me thy glory” (Exodus 33:18).
5. Moses striking the rock. “The Lord spake unto Moses saying . . . speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock” (Numbers 20:7,8). “And Moses took the rod from before the Lord as he had commanded him . . . hear now, ye rebels: must we fetch ye water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand and with his rod he smote the rock twice” (Numbers 20:9-11). “And the Lord spake unto Moses . . . because ye believe me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them” Numbers 20:12).
H. OBSERVATIONS ABOUT CROSSROADS
1. Caution: like any crossroad you approach, be careful of the dangers, of things you don’t see, and of getting lost.
2. Study the past. Know what the Bible has said about men “Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning” (Romans 15:4). “Now these things were our examples” (I Corinthians 10:6).
3. A daily sensitive walk with God: so we can understand experiences whether they are of normal or of epic variety.
4. Have a Spirit-led caution concerning every decision.
5. Don’t be so overcautious that we lose our freedom of ministry or we are afraid to fail.
6. Don’t ignore small decisions, for in small decisions we determine our life.
If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:
Dear Lord,
I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God and rejoice with you.
For more information on the TRBC Pastor’s Bible Class, log on to the Internet for TRBC Home page at www.trbc.org/pbc.
