Terrie, the girls and I just returned from a brief road trip. It was a fast drive up Central California to visit Benji on his 19th birthday. (Benji is working at a Christian Camp for the summer.)
I had driven to Hume Lake one other time when I dropped Benj off in June, but honestly, I’m not sure I could have made it without the map we carried with us. It laid out a very straight forward route. But I also discovered another fact very quickly. The map wasn’t enough.
The map showed me every highway and town I needed to go through. It even pointed to the final destination. But the map wasn’t enough – I soon found out that if I didn’t may attention to the road signs along the way I would get lost.
That’s exactly what happened to me on my way home from my first trip. I thought I was on the right road…as I looked at the map it appeared I was headed down the right highway, but when I finally started paying attention to the road signs I realized I was off track.
I needed the map, but it was the road signs that kept me on course.
Our second trip to Hume was less eventful because I paid attention to the road signs!
The same can be said for our entire life! God has given us a practical life map to live our lives for Him. He’s pointed to our final destination. The Bible tells us which roads we should travel. It explains everything we need to know for this trip through life on our way to heaven.
But just knowing the direction, the highways is not enough. We need some road signs to help us make sure we are headed in the right direction.
Another way to say this is – sometimes we need to now “what now?” What do I do when I don’t know what to do? Where do I turn when I don’t know when direction to go?
Have you ever been that frustrated? You just didn’t know what to do or which way to turn?
In the end the problem was that you were not reading the road signs. God posts them along our way – but we have to pay attention.
This morning and next week we want to discover together six road signs for life; six specific signs that, if you follow them, will guide you in the right direction – always. This a 100% guarantee. If you answer these questions and follow God’s direction you will be assured of the right answer.
How do I know? Because God’s Word guarantees it!
Proverbs 2:9 promises: “you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will know how to find the right course of action every time.”
Did you catch that? “you will know how to find the right course of action every time.”
If you want to make sure you are always going in the right direction, if you want to make sure your decisions are always the best, then follow these six road signs.
The first road sign for life is what we will call
THE DIRECTIONAL SIGN.
You’ve got to be willing to follow the directions and God’s Word, the Bible gives all the direction you need!
The first question you need to ask yourself is what does the Bible say?
What does the Bible say about my problem, my decision, the choice I need to make?
Does what I am about to do fit into what the Bible says I should do?
Is this the direction the Bible says I should go?
Often the answer to that question is pretty obvious. There are some definite things the Bible tells us we SHOULD NOT DO. Those are called sin. And remember, sin is best defined as anything that will hurt you or someone else. If the Bible says no – they I shouldn’t.
On the other hand, there are some definite things the Bible tells us we SHOULD DO. The Bible tells me to be kind. The Bible tells me to be honest. The Bible tells me to give to God what belongs to Him.
If the Bible tells me I should go in a certain direction, then I’d better follow that direction. Why, because God already knows where my choices will lead me. He already knows what’s going to happen next. His Word tells me what to stay away from and what to get involved with.
The Bible is God’s direction book, God’s map for our lives. The more we understand it, the more we follow it, the more our lives will “work”.
There’s actually a whole chapter in the Bible that deals specifically with following God’s direction. It’s no accident that it’s the longest chapter in the Bible: Psalm 119. Listen to some of its advice:
Verse 105 - Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path. God’s Word will give us light when the decision seeks unclear.
Verse 26 - I told you my plans, and you answered. Now teach me your principles. We may tell God our plans, but He wants us to listen to His principles
Verse 32 - I will run to follow your commands.
Verse 35 - Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found. We are happiest when we follow God’s commands.
Verse 45 - I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments. Living by God’s commands brings freedom.
Verse 60 - I will hurry, without lingering, to obey your commands. We should not hesitate to follow God’s commands.
Verse 101 - I have refused to walk on any path of evil, that I may remain obedient to your word. We should refuse to walk any direction other than where God’s Word points.
Verse 133 - Guide my steps by your word, so I will not be overcome by any evil. God’s Word will guide our steps if we listen to and obey it.
Every verse in Psalm 115 except two deals specifically with following God’s directions.
Here’s the point: if you are unwilling to follow God’s Word as the starting point, you may as well forget the rest of the signs. The road signs will mean nothing if you are going the wrong direction down the road.
Road sign #1 – Directional – you have to follow God’s directions.
Question: What does the Bible say about my direction, my decision?
The second road sign for life is what we will call
THE KEEP RIGHT SIGN. – Honesty, Integrity
Is my choice honest? Would I want others to know that I am going down this path? Another word for honesty is integrity. If you are heading down a path and you are worried what others might think if they ever found out – you’re probably heading in the wrong direction.
Proverbs 10:9-10 tell us, “People with integrity have firm footing, but those who follow crooked paths will slip and fall. People who wink at wrong cause trouble”
James 4:17 says, “it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.”
The honesty sign asked the question: “Does my public life and my private life match?” Am I walking on the right side of the road?
Somehow we actually think we can make dishonest choices and get away with it. We believe we can plant seeds of sin today and not have to worry about them tomorrow. Much like the guy without the parachute we talked about a few weeks ago, we assume since the fall feels good there will not be that sudden stop!
Galatians 6:7 warns us: “Don’t be misled. Remember that you can’t ignore God and get away with it. You will always reap what you sow!” You may decide not to be honest, but you can’t drive on the wrong side of the road without eventually getting hit!
I know what you’re thinking right now, “But Pastor Paul, sometimes the choice isn’t that clear. Sometimes some people will think it’s ok and others will not like my choice. What then?
Well, Romans chapter fourteen gives some direction for that problem as well: “But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong” and it’s wrong “if it makes another person stumble”. Some things just aren’t worth doing. If I feel its wrong I should avoid it. And I should definitely avoid it if it’s going to hurt someone else (but we’ll get to that later).
Road sign #2 – Honesty – you have to stay on the right side of the road.
Question: Would I want everyone to know that I’ve made this choice? Is it honest?
The third road sign for life is
THE CONSTRUCTION SIGN.
Will this decision, will this direction build me up or tear me down? Will it make me a better person?
I’ve talked to a lot of people over the past few months as we have started FamilyFellowship. I’ve had the privilege of getting to know most of you. And the one thing that just about everyone has said to me is, “Pastor Paul, I really want to be a better person.”
I know what you are trying to say. You want God to do a work in you. You want Him to free you from the habits, addictions, the problems you are facing. You want Jesus to feel closer and have a greater part of your daily life. You want Him to make you a better person!
Well, this road sign asks that question! While you are asking God to make you a better person, are you asking yourself that same question? Are you asking yourself if the decisions you are making actually benefit you? Will that decision, will that direction help get you to where you want to be next?
Will that decision really improve your life?
1 Corinthians 10:23 says, “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive.”
Now think for a minute as we close the message for today: how many decisions did you make this week based on the “construction sign”? How many decisions did you make when you actually stopped and asked, “Is this really the best thing for me, for my family, for my testimony to others?”
You see, we often choose the good and lose out on the best. This road sign does not ask what is good to do; there are lots of good things we can do.
This sign helps point us in the direction of what is best!
What good things are you doing that are keeping you from doing what is best? Lot’s of things in life are “OK”, but are they best?
Life is far too short to waste on good things when you could be enjoying the very best!
The decisions we make should be based on how they will help us grow.
Road sign #3 – Construction – it needs to build you up not tear you down.
Question: Will this decision make me a better person?
The other side to this construction sign is also encouraging – it says we are “under construction”! God isn’t finished with us yet!
I used to have a little pin with these initials on it:
“P B P G I N F W M Y”
"Please Be Patient God Is Not Finished With Me Yet!"
You have gotten to this point in your life and you are pretty discouraged.
You haven’t always made the best decisions. As a matter of fact, you would probably say that you’ve made some pretty bad decisions!
You haven’t followed the directional sign – you haven’t listened much to what God has been telling you in His Word – and you feel lost.
You haven’t always traveled on the right side of the road – you’ve made some decisions that you’re not to proud of.
You’ve made decisions that have torn your life down instead of building you up.
Here’s the good news – God hasn’t given up on you! He’s not finished with you yet. He’s simply waiting for you to come to him and left Him in the driver’s seat!
I like the way Eugene Paterson’s The Message paraphrases Jesus’ words in Matthew eleven:
“Are you tired? Worn out?...Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it…I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
God is not finished with you yet. He has the power to set you back on course and lead you to where He designed you to live!
The first three road signs: the directional sign, the honestly sign, the construction sign
Does my decision fit what the Bible tells me I should do?
Is my decision honest?
Will this decision build me up or tear me down?
To view this sermon at our website go to
http://churchforfamily.com/Sermons/RoadSigns1.htm
