The End Of The Road
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End of the Road
End of the Road
The message this morning is entitled, “The End of the Road.”
“Only One Life Will Soon Be Past. Only What’s Done for Christ Will Last.”
As I come to the end of my road here in 2018, 2019 will show me the results of my ministry among you. “What Ed has done will pass, what Christ has done will last.” 2019 will tell me a lot about my labors among you.
A sideline of mine is to photograph the ends of the roads in Maine. One will see on highways signs that say “End of….” Many roads lack those signs.
Last week we saw the picture of the beginning of Route 1 in Fort Kent. The untold story is the other side of the sign.
Route 1 is also the end of the road.
Willie Nelson said, “I believe that all roads lead to the same place - and that is wherever all roads lead to.”
That is so deep it’s shallow. It is so profound its absurd. Help us Willie, where did this idea come from? If all roads lead to the same place than I’ll get on Route 3 West and you get on Route 1 South. You head south and I will head west. Will we ever meet?
Willie Nelson was the same person who said,
My doctor tells me I should start slowing it down - but there are more old drunks than there are old doctors so let's all have another round.
C.S. Lewis spoke about the same roads as Willie Nelson. He said, “We are not living in a world where all roads are radii of a circle and where all, if followed long enough, will therefore draw gradually nearer and finally meet at the centre: rather in a world where every road, after a few miles, forks into two, and each of those into two again, and at each fork, you must make a decision.”
The road we travel makes a real difference.
Robert Frost caught this in his poem, “The Road Not Taken.”
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
I sang that song in High School in chorus.
Yogi Berra gave this famous quote, “If you come to a fork in the road, take it.”
He also said, “If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.”
Have you ever thought about where your road is taking you? Are you on the right road? Are you on the road that God wants you on? Is God with you on your road?
Jesus is God with us!
If you have Jesus, you have God with you. If you are living for Jesus, following Jesus, God is walking with you.
Matthew connects the dots.
The Old Testament said,
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Matthew tells us that Jesus’ coming was to fulfill Isaiah 7:14.
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
When Mary and Joseph are at the manger, God was with them. When they fled to Egypt, God was with them. When they came back to Nazareth or made various trips to Jerusalem, God was with them. If you have Jesus, Emmanuel, God is with you.
When the disciples traveled with Jesus, God was with them. When they faced the raging sea, God was with them. When they were short on food with 5000 mouths to feed, God was with them. Emmanuel.
When we walk on our own road, when we do what we think is right, when we live by our own understanding, we have no assurance that God is with us.
We have all been on roads we thought were right and found out we were wrong.
Proverbs tells us:
12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
This is repeated.
25 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart.
This is a problem. We think our way is right, our road is right, and we look though our own eyes. The Lord weighs your heart. Are you on the right road? From your heart is Jesus your Lord and your Savior? Is he your guide? If so, then Emmanuel. God is with you.
15 But my people have forgotten me; they make offerings to false gods; they made them stumble in their ways, in the ancient roads, and to walk into side roads, not the highway,
We cannot take any road we want. There are side roads that are not the highway. We take side roads because we have forgotten God. God is not with us on the side roads.
Jesus said,
13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.
Don’t forget, the way that leads to destruction looks so right. A lot of people are on it. This road is ecumenical, it is broad, it is inclusive, it is popular, it is well traveled. The ends of this road are destruction and death. They are not the ancient roads, they are side roads. They are not the highway, they are the dead-end streets with no sign of warning.
We have tried to walk this road, the road that Jesus is on, while we have been in Palermo.
When invited to be the pastor, we prayed and agreed that God wanted us here in Palermo. So, we came. I believe that when we made that decision that God was with us, Emmanuel.
On the first Sunday of every year I preached from Matthew 28:19-20. Whereas the birth of Jesus and Matthew’s comment that Jesus would be Emmanuel, God with us, start the story of Jesus, Matthew 28:19-20 are the last words of Jesus that Matthew records.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
God called us to make disciples and in as much as we have helped you to follow Jesus, Emmanuel, God is with us.
I believe Jesus was with this church when Fred Williams, Dave Jones and Dale Flynn prayed together about bringing the churches in town together. Many towns talk about church splits, we had a church united. Emmanuel, Jesus was here.
I remember doing many funerals in Palermo. Many of them were way beyond my ability to bring comfort. I remember many of the funerals. The first large one was Brian Dyer. As his mother, Carmen, was very active in Mary Kay cosmetics, pink cars filled the parking lot and up and down the street. I shared the word of God and felt totally inadequate. But God’s word doesn’t return void. When we share God’s word, Immanuel, God is with us.
Dave and Marilyn Kibbe were the ones who let the church know about us. Marilyn played piano and Dave taught Sunday school. He was so effective that we had a hard time getting Sunday school teachers to teach the kids. His series on Matthew was top notch. When they left, I didn’t tell anyone, but I wondered if the church would be able to go on. It has. Emmanuel. Jesus is here. He didn’t leave when the Kibbe’s left to go to Connecticut.
Mark and Jan Williams were involved with deacon, elder, treasurer, Sunday school teaching and many other behind the scenes activities. When they left, I wondered. But when they left, Jesus didn’t leave. Emmanuel. God is with us.
During my time here, we have added on a lot. The church and gym were here, but the nursery, wood room, kitchen, bathrooms, and youth room were added on. The three offices and the gym entrances were put on. And then the new addition at the front of the church are almost finished.
In truth, I am not interested in the building of buildings. I am interested in the building of people. I am not the church. I am not the head of the church. What was accomplished in those areas came because Immanuel, God was with us. The trustees and the church body felt the need for the physical expansion of the church. I didn’t know that Journey would be such a big event, but God did. Emmanuel, God with us, was with the trustees and the membership. He used others who love Jesus to do what he wanted here, not what I wanted.
One of my weaknesses is that I am not an event person. I love preaching and teaching the word of God, but I can organize events, but that is nowhere near my first love.
Individuals in the church and our fellowship ministry have gone and done what Jesus has wanted this church to do. Emmanuel. God is with those who use their gifts for him, and that includes you.
I have been asked by many people if I have been counting down the days till I am done. I have not. I love this church and I love the people.
Every year I have had one time during the year I have thought about leaving. Sometimes I was discouraged. God would speak to my heart and say, “Ed, the battle is not yours, it belongs to the Lord. Be faithful.” Sometimes I was inflated with the success we had. God would come and say, “Ed, take a hard look at what has happened. The success has come because other people are making you look good. Don’t get so high on yourself. I am the only one who gives the increase.” I would get off my high horse and remember, God hasn’t called me to be successful, he has called me to be faithful.
But about a year ago God put this thought into my head. I almost heard a voice saying, “Ed, it’s time.” I had a peace about that. I believe that God wanted me to stay to help with the transition. But now it’s time. That work is done. Emmanuel. God is with us.
I also believe that Jesus is here. Emmanuel, God is with you. In as much as God is with you, this church is on the right road.
God wants someone else pastoring this church. I hope that God’s person gets a warm welcome from you. Why, if God was in my coming, supporting my ministry, and then telling me to leave, why wouldn’t you praise God for what he has done and welcome with open arms that person God will bring to lead you on? When that person who loves and is following Jesus walks into this church, Emmanuel, God is with him.
Jesus is with us to the end of the age. He is with us always. This age hasn’t ended and neither has Jesus’ presence.
Jesus is God with us to the end of the age.”
And at the end of the road?
25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.
26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God,
27 whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!
If our faith is in Jesus, it will not only be Emmanuel, God with us. Our eyes shall see and we will behold Emmanuel. We will be with God.
Until then, follow Jesus. When you follow Jesus, Emmanuel, God is with you.
A number of years ago, the church sponsored a trip I took to Portland, Maine. Dr. Stephen Olford, a white-haired preacher with an international reputation was speaking. What an encouragement his message was to those of us in the room! He had a singer with him, a man with a great voice and a humble spirit. I don’t know his name, but he sang what has become one of my favorite Christmas songs. I sang it as a solo at this church and unlike Buck Kent, who, when he hears me sing, encourages me not to quit my day job, Freda Bradstreet, Miriam Keller’s mom, used to sit down at the front on your left hand side. She heard the song, told me I had a beautiful voice, and loved the song. When we sing this, I often think of her.
I would like us to close with this song. Emmanuel, Emmanuel. His name, Jesus, is called Emmanuel. He is God with us, revealed in us. His name is called Emmanuel.