Whats your final destination?

Title: Choice

Text: Joshua 24:14-15; Matthew 7:13-14; Luke 16:19-31

Introduction: What destination do you have in your Spiritual GPS? Most of us use GPS when going somewhere that we have never been before. That GPS will always give us options, do we want to take the shortest distance, the fastest time, and then normally an extra route combining time and distance.

When dialing in a destination we will make a choice of which route we want to take, and normally by looking at selection you may notice some areas on map are red because that is a popular destination many take, so we either choose that route or take the longer route which takes us the backway through some narrow bumpy roads.

We always have the options. But I want to talk about where our final destination is in life.

Do we choose the popular easy route that makes things easier in life now?

Or do we choose the straight, and narrow path that few take but has a great final destination.

Many people choose to base their destination by what is going on now in life and not worried about the final destination.

First, we will see the Two Choices (Joshua 24:14-15).

Second, we will see the Two Paths (Matthew 7:13-14).

Finally, we will see the Two Destinations(Luke 16:19-31).

Thesis: As Christians we need to make the choice of putting God first in our lives, it is not a popular choice and many will not choose this route.

I.The Two Choices (Joshua 24:14-15).

We see two Scriptures

We see two choices

The Bad Choice:

a. Vs. 14A Now therefore fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and in Truth.

i. “Therefore” …….

1. Seeing what the Lord had done they should have been in fear, and serving God who could wipe out entire nations, even the biggest nations all other nations were feared of.

2. To serve God starts with a proper reverence toward Him.

3. Vs. 13 Now they are in a land…….look….

b. Vs. 14B Now put away…,,,,

i. Look what the enemies’ gods and idols got them, they got killed and their land taken away from them, yet they turning to their idolatry.

c. Vs. 15A And if it seems evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve.

i. Do you choose the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood? The ones that chased after you and God destroyed.

ii. Do you serve the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell? Remember what happened to the people in land they now have cities, homes, and gardens.

The Good Choice:

d. Vs. 15B But as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.

i. Joshua is trying to reason with these stubborn people, giving them a wake up call. Because if they do not turn from their idolatry they will be destroyed just like all those other nations were as well.

e. Application: As Christians we to can fall away to the world. An idol is anything we put over God, maybe its our Job, families, possessions, hobbies, or something else. We can get to where we spend all our time devoting all our time to these things and forget who we need to serve.

f. Sometimes we need to be reminded just like Joshua was reminded on a choice we need to make and one we need to make now, today.

Today is our salvation nearer than when we first believed (Romans 13:11).

The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night (1 Thess. 5:2).

Many verses on the day of the Lord. He will come, He will return, and we need to be ready, we need to make a choice.

II. The Two Paths (Matthew 7:13-14).

We see 2 Scriptures

We see two paths

leading to two destinations

a. The gate to destruction is wide, broad, and many find or take this route.

b. The gate to life is straight, narrow, and few find or take this route.

ii. Notice they each have gates: A gate is a entrance to a place.

Think about going to a ranch you will have to open a gate.

When going to someone’s house you may enter a gate to

We are very familiar with entering gates to get to a final destination.

1. Let’s talk about the bad path:

a. Now many will choose the broad gate because it is very easy choice.

The road is very wide. Most people like things that are easy, like things which are fun and bring happiness.

I like to think of an amusement park which thousands of people go to every day and when you pull in there is no wait because there is a bunch of gates to get people in really quickly. But that is just a front to get people in the park because once people are in the park then the lines to the rides are really long, and everything in the park is expensive.

b. The road to destruction is very deceiving it may look like a shorter route, and may seem like the right choice at the time. But the end results are the worst.

c. Think about our GPS’S on our smart phones, lets say your going somewhere far like NY well the GPS is going to figure out the fastest route to get there at that very moment. It may not be the best route, but it is the fastest. A lot of times it will take the major highways, because that is what most people take.

d. Many of you live in Buda/Kyle know that the highways are not always the best choice to commute here. That wide Highway of 35 gets jammed up pretty quick and most people take that route going to work.

e. But there is narrower paths like the access road or the back way, where it may be a little longer distance to drive here, you may have to take some smaller bumpier roads, but the end result is you make it here on time, safely, and you get to keep moving instead of sitting in the parking lot on 35 because everybody else chooses that route.

2. Now let’s talk about the good path:

a. The straight and narrow gate.

b. Few people will choose this route because it is not the easiest choice.

c. This choice will cause people to change their life

d. Have you ever pulled a trailer and had to turn into a narrow gate, with a narrow driveway. Sometimes it can be really hard to make the turn.

Takes lots of experience pulling a trailer to do this every time, and it is accomplished by practice. Many people will not even try to attempt to pull the trailer through the gate.

e. Luke 13:24-30 Jesus talks about the straight gate.

i. This gate many will seek to enter but will not be able.

ii. They are no able to enter because it is too late, the door has been shut.

iii. Notice they say they have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and He has taught in our streets. Makes me think of all the sinners that Jesus had eaten with, and all those that He taught but yet would not listen, would not make the right choice.

iv. How many people will come and eat and drink of the fruit of the vine, come and hear the truth preached to them, and in the end will not listen, they will not change their life. How many people will we have Bible studies with and teach them the truth that will not make the right choice

v. Vs. 30 The last shall be first.

The people who waited, they took the longer, they took the harder route.

They shall be first. Those that strove to but God first in their lives, to put others first, to deny themselves; now they shall be first.

vi. Matthew 16:18 The ones who choose Jesus, His Church, the Kingdom of God- the “gates” of hell shall not prevail against it. Sounds the right choice and the right path!!

III. The Two Destinations (Luke 16:19-31).

a. We see two men!

Who made two differnt choices.

They choose two different paths, which led to two differnt destinations!!

The Rich man had the finest clothing, the finest food, and had a “gate”, a gate which he would go through every day to enter his home.

A gate he would see this poor beggar, one who was destitute in need of food, a by vs 25 apparently give the poor man evil things like the crumbs which fell from his table in. vs 21.

Lets look at the one that choose the wrong path leading to bad destination:

Now this rich man is wanting just a little comfort while being in torment, but it is to late. He had chosen the wide and broad gate.

He was worried about himself in life and now is reaping the consequences.

Every choice we make in life has consequences.

He is now wanting Lazarus to go and warn his family, but its to late.

Think of all the people in life which will choose the way that is easy, makes them happy now, but are on the highway to hell, and destruction.

Lets look at the one who choose the right path leading to the good destination:

b. The poor man Lazarus laid by the rich mans gate.

He made the right choice, he would know when the rich man was home or not and could of went and stole, he could have robbed him at any time.

He could have said surly God wants me to be happy, this rich man won’t miss it, he could of came up with all kinds of excuses like many do today.

But no, he laid there and begged, he had received evil things in the physical life; but now he is comforted, now he is in Abrahams bosom.

Jesus says in Matt 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of God.

Conclusion: We have seen that in life we have many choices to make.

But the most important choice is seeking and serving our almighty God.

We have seen that choosing God and the route to Heaven is not a popular one and many will not make this choice.

And we have seen an example of what will happen to us if we make the right or the wrong choice.

When we choose God and the narrow path it is a path and route which will not be the easiest.

It is a route which causes a lot of change, many people do not want to try taking a different route because they don’t like change.

They know a route and stick to the route. Well, we need to choose the Highway of holiness Isaiah 35 a place where in the end we will be like Lazarus, a place where we will be comforted, a place where we shall obtain joy and gladness, a place where there will be no more sorrow.

But as the Bible says many will not choose this route, because this route is not easy, it is a route of change and about denying our life now.

It is a destination where we are putting God and others over ourselves.

It is a destination with many bumps, potholes, but the final destination is Heaven.

Is Heaven in your Spiritual GPS?