The Old Path verses the New Path

The Old Paths versus the New Path

Jeremiah 6:16

The prophet Jeremiah exhorts us: "...Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls..." (Jer. 6:16).

This is the day of the bypass. Great freeways skirt the edges of town after town, detour here and circumvent there. In this madhouse of traffic congestion when we are safer on a battlefield than on a highway, the bypass is a necessity. But there are some bypasses that belong to another category.

Churches and church members today are trying to take a New Path (Or Bypass if you will).  The old Paths or ways are not good enough for them so they are trying to build on new ways and new methods.  Not below some of the areas by which some churches and members are trying to bypass or have new views about.

1—Churches today are Bypassing Sin:

      Sin now has been given new names:

o   Such as Immaturity

o   Arrested Development

o   Biological Growing Pains

      What Churches call wickedness, the world calls weakness

      We are not sinful anymore, we are just sick

      Alcoholism is called a sickness and not a sin

      Alcoholism is the only sickness that I know where millions of dollars each day is spent on advertisements.

      In Hollywood, adultery is called a choice, not a sin

      A Murderer is known become the victim of early childhood problems

       Illegitimacy is now respectable and is subsidized by the welfare state

Now, here is the Biblical State of Sin:

James 1:14-15 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.  (Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

A Christian Losses the following when sin is present:

Light—Joy—Righteousness—Love—Fellowship—Confidence—The Possible loss of health and even physical life

2—The Church today is Bypassing the Cross of Christ:

      Satan hates the Cross

      Satan will do all it can to get the church to bypass the Cross

      Churches today have even said the Cross is too brutal

Isaiah 53:4-6 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

1. There is a Reality of the Cross of Christ
2. There is a Reason for the Cross of Christ
3. There is a Results of the Cross of Christ

3—The Church today is Bypassing The Lord’s Return:

      There is an absolute certainty of the Lord’s Return

      Bible Teaches us that we should be prepared

      Just because someone says it is not going to happen does not make it so

      Until the Lord Comes back, we are to preach the Word

      Until the Lord Comes back, we are to prepare the way

      Until the Lord Comes back, we are to praise His Name

Acts 1:9-11 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.  And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

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