Sermon Tone Analysis

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.

ps 119;59-60

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.

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.

If you are one of the men reading the Kingdom Man devotional - he talked about 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

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.

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!

But Lord, I don’t want to sit here at this light and WAIT!

But Lord, I don’t want to sit here at this light and WAIT!

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:

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.)

HOW MANY ARE FRUSTRATED BY ALL THE ISLAMIC TROUBLE IN OUR WORLD TODAY???

Abraham created that because he got inpatient 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.

Psalm

lm 27.13-14

When God gives us a RED LIGHT - the promise of waiting is to obtain VICTORY and not DEFEAT!

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.

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.

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.

J

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!

On 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!

Life may throw some scary roads at us, but we have to still move forward.

We cannot let fear keep us from moving ahead.

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 - our family was in one a few months ago - to be honest with you - 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

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???

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!

Let 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.