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Road Signs For Life - Part Two |
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July 27, 2003 |
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Last week we discovered the first three road signs for life. When you are faced with which direction you need to go, when you are faced with a decision in life, God does not leave us without a clue. He has laid down some powerful guidelines to point us down the road we need to travel. Several years ago author Scott Peck wrote a book entitled, The Road Less Traveled. If I were going to write a book based on these sermons I would call it: The Road Signs Most Often Ignored. The subtitle would be “How We Got Ourselves Into the Messes We are In!” When we fail to follow the road signs of life we find ourselves places we never wanted to be and where God never intended us to go. These road signs for life represent six powerful questions to ask whenever you are about to make a decision or choose a direction for your life.
The first road sign
was the "Directional
Sign".
Following these three road signs will keep us pretty straight. But sometimes they are not enough. We need more direction, and the Bible supplies us with further guidance. This morning we want to look at the final three road signs of life that will keep us heading in the direction God has planned for us. The fourth road sign for life addresses the bondage principle:
This sign asks the question, "Is there a way out?" If I follow this direction is there a way out? Will this decision put me into a position where I’m bound? Some things seem very attractive, harmless at first – but very quickly instead of us controlling them, they control us! 1 Corinthians 6:12 tells us, “Even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything.” Will what I am about to do become addicting? Will it control my life? It doesn’t matter if it’s “acceptable” for others. It doesn’t matter if it’s popular. If it’s addicting, if it’s controlling the Bible says I must not become a slave to anything.” You know the very first command in the ten commandments says, “Do not worship any other gods besides me”. He set this as the first commandment because He knew how easy it would be for us to make other gods. He knew how quickly we would become addicted to our idols! You know idols don’t have to be made of stone or wood – an idol can be anything that gets in the way of our relationship to God. And it’s those things that control us. I’m told there are over 2000 classified addictions. You can get addicted to almost anything. For me addiction came in a clear sixteen ounce bottle called "Diet Dr. Pepper". I would slow down when I passed a “Pepper” billboard. I would look for the “Pepper” ads in the paper. I couldn’t get through the day without my “Pepper”. I mean, “Wouldn’t you like to be a Pepper too?” Seriously, it doesn’t matter what the addiction – it becomes an idol and often its worshipped, treasured, thought about more than your relationship to Jesus Christ. The point: you always need to ask the question, where will this decision take me? Will it hold me in chains? Will it hold me in bondage? The Bible tells us we can do anything we want if the Bible doesn’t say we can’t – but frankly, some things are too easy to get addicted to – so don’t! Road sign #4 – No Exit – Is this something that will keep me in chains. Question: Could this decision lead to addiction? Now let’s look at the fifth road sign for life:
This sign asks the question – what will others do when they see me? Will what I’m doing hurt someone else? You see, whether you like it or not, people are watching you. You spouse is watching you. Your kids are watching you. Your neighbors, relatives, friends are all watching you. People you don’t even know are watching you. And they often make decisions in their own lives based on what they see you doing? You don’t believe me? When was the last time you either heard or used one of these phrases: “But everyone is doing it?” “Don’t worry, everyone does that?” “This product is the most popular…” And those are only three! It also gets more specific. People are looking at you and making decisions about what is right and wrong for a Believer to do! We don’t realize that our decisions can have devastating consequences on others. Romans chapter fourteen tells us, “each of us will have to give a personal account to God…Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not put an obstacle in another Christian’s path.” (Romans 14:12-13) There is no such thing as “it’s my life”. Our life affects others and the “sight seeing” sign points us in the direction that says it really does matter to others how I live. I realized this early on in my life. As a young college student I began dating a young lady who had been saved out of a pretty wild background. She loved the Lord and was thrilled to be in Bible College training to be a Christian School Teacher. What I noticed about her though was that she was a bit stuffy. I mean, she hated the music I listened to – it was Christian, but it reminded her too much of the party music she listened to before she came to Christ. And movies were out of the question. She remembered what she used to do at the movies. Well, my life on the other hand was pretty sheltered. I didn’t get into the party scene in high school so when I listened to certain types of music it didn’t bother me at all – but it did bother her! Eventually, I got her to relax a little. The music wasn’t any big deal and, hey, going to “tame” movie couldn’t hurt. But it did hurt. You see, she knew where she shouldn’t be going, and even though such things did not cause me to think evil or act evil – they reminded her of her past sins. Pretty soon I watch her drop her guard in other areas. And even though we stopped dating I watched how my actions caused her to stumble in her walk with the Lord. I’ve never forgotten that mistake and that lesson. On the other hand – several years after Terrie and I were married I remember getting a phone call from someone I did not even remember. He told me that he had known me in high school. I was polite, but honestly, I could not place who he was. I still can’t. What he told me though was amazing. He told me that he came to Christ during his early years in high school; I was a senior at the time. He went on to tell me that he had watched me take a stand for Christ in a public school filled with drugs, sex and all sorts of other “70’s stuff”. He told me that he determined if Paul Newell could life for Christ, he could as well. Then he shared with me that after high school and college he and his wife were now on their way to the Ivory Coast as missionaries. He told me I was partly responsible for his decision. And I don’t even remember who he is! He was watching! Who’s watching you? Don’t be so quick to answer that question. You really don’t know. But people are and the “sight seeing sign” points you down the road that says – I really will live for others! I remember the words of the Apostle Paul, twice he wrote “follow my example”. He had the audacity, the boldness, the courage to tell people to follow his example, why, because he was following Christ’s. “So I ask you to follow my example and do as I do.” (1 Corinthians 4:16) And you should follow my example, just as I follow Christ’s. (1 Corinthians 11:1) That’s confidence in the “sight seeing sign”. You can’t just live your life for yourself. You have to remember that others are watching you! Road sign #5 – Sight Seeing – Who’s watching me? Question: How will my decision affect others? Now let’s look at the final road sign for life:
How will this decision make a different in eternity? Is this the best use of my life? What’s the payoff? You see everything we do eventually pays off. We quoted it last week, “You will always reap what you sow!” (Galatians 6:7) Sin pays off, it leads to death. Romans tells us “When people sin, they earn what sin pays—death.” (Romans 6:23a) Sin leads to separation. Sin kills our relationship to God. That’s why we need God’s forgiveness for our sins. “But God gives us a free gift—life forever in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23b) Sin pays what we don’t want to earn. But living for God also pays! Ephesians 6:8 tells us, “The Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do.” And Hebrews 11:6 says, “Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” The payday sign asks the question, is this the best way to invest my life for eternity? “So be very careful how you live. Do not live like those who are not wise, but live wisely. Use every chance you have for doing good, because these are evil times. So do not be foolish but learn what the Lord wants you to do.” (Ephesians 5:15-17) We’ve said it before: this life is simply preparation for eternity. How we live now makes all the difference in how we are blessed, rewarded in eternity. And never forget that God always blesses your faithfulness! The payday sign asks, "Is this the best use of my time when I consider all of time? How will what I am about to do effect my life tomorrow, next year and for eternity." We all have the same amount of time. We all have only 168 hours in our week, 1080 minutes, 604,800 seconds. The difference between success and failure in this life is how we invest those moments and who we invest those moments in! And you will never really invest your time, your life until you come to grips with what God has placed you here on this earth for. He desires you to live a life that reflects His love, His goodness and His power! You don’t have time for everything, but the good news is you don’t have to do everything. You only have to do what God has called you to do. In the coming weeks we are going to offer you opportunities to discover your life mission. You will begin to discover just why God has you here. You will begin to understand just how God has shaped you to have a significant impact on your world! And you will have all the time in the world to accomplish that mission - if you learn to follow the payday sign! Learn to invest your time and life for eternity! Six Road Signs For Life.
(2) The Keep Right Sign – Honesty, Integrity – Is this the right thing to do?
(4) The No Exit Sign – Will this trap me and hold me in bondage?
(6) The Pay Day Sign – Is this a good investment for eternity?
You follow this six signs and where they point and you will be guaranteed a life that stays on course! We closed the service last week by reminding you of one other sign...
Jesus Christ gave His life on the cross to pay for the sins you have committed. Long before you took the drivers seat on your "life trip" Jesus cared enough to come to this earth, live a perfect life and then give up that life on the cross so your sins could be forgiven. There is no way to even understand the other signs until you accept this sign. That's why Jesus simply says "Come to me..." “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, TheMessage Paraphrase) Now is the moment to accept what Jesus did on the cross personally. Allow Him to be your Forgiver and make Him the Boss of your life. Life becomes complete when we know for sure that Jesus is riding beside us! Jesus wants to give you His eternal life. If you have already accepted Jesus Christ why not let Him back in the driver's seat? |
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(c) Paul Newell 2003 FamilyFellowship Church P.O. Box 465, Beaumont, CA 92223 |
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