Direction
The Road of Life • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
Last week we explored the road of life, and the importance of finding the bridge that leads us onto a new road with an eternal destiny…
We discussed the importance of crossing the ‘cross bridge’ and clearing the road of our life for the Lord to take control of our DESTINY.
We also spoke of living that Destiny with all of its benefits now!
This morning I want to continue with the thought of traveling the road.
Every road has signs and signals. Every road has direction for those who travel on it on how to proceed or behave.
Those signs exist for a reason - our safety and well being.
When we ignore the signs we place ourselves in danger of hazardous conditions or situations that could effect or safety and life.
If we follow the signs and signals we can travel with greater confidence at arriving at our desired destination complete and whole.
The commands these signs and signals give us HELP US ON OUR JOURNEY.
I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your laws. I will hurry, without delay, to obey your commands.
Perhaps one of the greatest used and most commonly known tool for road directions is the TRAFFIC SIGNAL.
It is strategically placed at intersections where control is necessary to assist all crossings.
The traffic signal has three basic messages
- stop and wait,
- slow down and proceed with caution,
and
- move freely.
It also has a few other directions like do not turn in a certain direction or only in a certain direction.
Traffic signals are placed by the city, state or local municipality who has the authority to enforce submission to their direction.
This morning I want to explore the meaning of the traffic signals on the road of this life when we yield our lives to HIS AUTHORITY.
In any game there are three teams
- the two opposing teams
and
the Official Authority of the league that ensures everyone plays by the same rules.
The referees are the representatives of the league. It is the same concept - and how blessed we are when we allow our lives to be “officiated” by the fair and truthful “RULE” of Jesus Christ!
Let’s begin today looking at the Traffic Lights on the Road of our lives - and why their God given authority is for our benefit.
1. Red Light
1. Red Light
The red light tells us to STOP!
In some places less traveled the stop sign is substituted.
How often do we get frustrated at red lights???
When we are traveling somewhere we can get ticked when we get slowed down.
We want to get where we are going, and we don’t want to be delayed.
So often we see a RED LIGHT as a huge inconvenience.
(Traveling Independence Pass this week, there is a place where the road becomes one lane and a very long red light holds you there at a curve in the road just waiting to change for a long time.... to go through could put you in a head on position with a cliff to a steep drop below!)
The reality is that the red light is there because something else is about to or potentially going to come and intersect with our path
- if we do not stop - the intersection of our paths could become a disastrous collision.
How often do we encounter STOP LIGHTS in our lives?
When we do they can agitate, frustrate, and make us antsy - but the reality is God knows why he made the light RED!
Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.
He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.
Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.
But Lord, I don’t want to sit here at this light and WAIT!
What happens when we wait?
++We allow God to work in our circumstances rather than controlling them ourselves.
++God fights our battles
++God works out the details
Listen to this message from the prophet Isaiah:
“What sorrow awaits my rebellious children,” says the Lord. “You make plans that are contrary to mine. You make alliances not directed by my Spirit, thus piling up your sins.
For without consulting me, you have gone down to Egypt for help. You have put your trust in Pharaoh’s protection. You have tried to hide in his shade.
But by trusting Pharaoh, you will be humiliated, and by depending on him, you will be disgraced.
Doesn’t that sound like a major catastrophic accident???
The Lord’s people did not stop and wait for the Lord’s plans - they moved ahead in their own ideas because they wanted control instead of trusting God - and their choices would became disastrous.
(This happened at a time where Assyria was threatening them and a faction of people wanted to go to Egypt for assistance rather than seek God for what to do
- it stems from them being carnal and in control of their own lives and not wanting to be dependent on the Lord.)
An example of this is HOW MANY ARE FRUSTRATED BY ALL THE ISLAMIC TROUBLE IN OUR WORLD TODAY???
Abraham created that because he got impatient waiting for the Lord to bring the son He had promised him.
He was on the road of life - moving toward receiving this promise God had for him, but he rushed ahead trying to get there sooner than God had planned -
the result is the ARAB world that is now Muslim and where conflict always exists.
We need the Lord to SAVE US FROM OURSELVES when we try and force circumstances and move forward to accomplish our ideas instead of waiting patiently at that stop light for the Lord to work!
Not every intersection in our life will cause us to have to stop and wait, but when that does occur - we need to recognize a red light from the Lord and be patient for Him to work out His plan, rather than us try and force one.
Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living.
Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.
I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry.
I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him.
When God gives us a RED LIGHT - the promise of waiting is to obtain VICTORY and not DEFEAT!
2. Yellow Light
2. Yellow Light
We may all see a yellow light as a cue to step on the gas before the light turns red...
BUT
A yellow light really means to slow down, proceed with caution and prepare to stop if needed.
The Lord knows what is ahead on the roads and often begins to give us warnings to slow down and make preparations...
I truly believe that yellow lights are often nudgings of the Holy Spirit to be cautious.
You will say, “How I hated discipline! If only I had not ignored all the warnings!
Sometimes the Lord disciplines whom He loves! He chastens us to gather our attention and to form us into His image.
No one likes to be chastened, corrected or disciplined - it makes us feel small or like children, but when we are heading for a possible catastrophe - a caution light may just get our attention to slow down and be careful.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.
Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.
After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.
And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you.
For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”
As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father?
If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all.
Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?
For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness.
No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.
So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees.
Discipline in life slows us down, and often causes us to stop.
We so often would rather just blaze through this and ignore the warnings - but that is how the accidents happen - when people plow through the warnings and get hit!
When we are going through the hard times, we may not get it all, but often the trial brings growth in our lives and keeps us from the disaster that could occur.
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.
For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
3. Green Light
3. Green Light
There are red lights and yellow lights, slow down, stop, wait, but there are also GREEN LIGHTS the Lord gives us.
Lights actually tend to be green as much or if not more than red lights! If we could not move forward than we would truly be stuck.
Have you ever been at a light when it turned to green and you weren’t paying attention and someone honked at you!?
That’s right - we can’t just sit there when the light is green - we need to advance forward!!!
This road we are on is not mean for us to stop and take a nap, or just chill on when we are supposed to be moving forward!
No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,
I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
In most moments in life we are called to PRESS ON!!!!
We cannot allow life or the fear of what may be ahead paralyze us and keep us from moving forward - if we are to reach the end of this road and receive our reward we have to keep on keeping on!
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.
Life may throw some scary roads at us, but we have to still move forward. We cannot let fear keep us from moving ahead.
(Covid really caused people to stall out at green lights!) Need to change our disciplines.
Often a green light is telling us it is safe to advance - we may not want to go forward or we may be distracted from going forward, but we still need to move forward.
God is with us and will be our guide as we advance onward.
You may have been in an accident -
I remember when our family was in one a few years ago
I was pretty jumpy on the roads for a while afterward.
Always afraid someone was going to jump into my lane or pull out in front of me - but I could not allow fear to freeze me from driving and moving about freely as I needed to...
There are many green lights that God gives us to freely move forward, turn in various directions, etc. -
He does not want us to be frozen on this road of life, but continuing onward.
Realize that He is with us, and no matter what danger may be on the road ahead, we do not travel it alone.
Move through the green lights and trust HIM for your safety.
4. Traffic Arrows
4. Traffic Arrows
Ok, there is one other type of light on those signals. ARROWS.
Arrows tell us where we can and cannot go! They limit the direction we move and prevent us from going in certain directions.
TO DISOBEY THE ARROW HAS MANY DIFFERENT CONSEQUENCES!
Ticket
Accident
Personal Injury
Damage to vehicle
In life they also have consequences because that direction is intended to keep us SAFE!
WHy do we fight the Lord’s direction in our lives???
The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?
We need to stop trying to figure out why the arrows of life point us in certain directions and start accepting that God knows where HE is DIRECTING US!
We come to church to hear the WORD OF GOD, we pray and read Scripture to HEAR THE VOICE OF GOD - why - for DIRECTION!
So don’t turn left when the arrow is red, or right when the arrow points left!
The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.
et the Lord’s traffic signals along life’s road direct your life. You are no longer free wheeling on the road to hell, but destined for eternity, let HIM GUIDE YOU.
Conclusion
Conclusion
It all comes down to trusting in the authority of God. Knowing that His wisdom is greater than ours, and letting go of our control.
accepting the red lights to stop and wait
slowing down and proceeding with caution or stopping when chastened and learning from the discipline
freely moving forward without fear to discover what lies ahead
turning where directed
Don’t get frustrated at the signals you receive, but TRUST in the Lord and know He is ordering your direction!