Crossroads, part 3
Notes
Transcript
Recap
Recap
part 1 - you are at a crossroads
not a tunnel where you are forced to go one direction (though it may feel like it)
not a dead end where you are stuck
but a place of decision
don’t rush on through life without a thought, but stop and think, and then choose those ancient roads that are good and godly
part 2 - understand that often those godly roads are narrow and small, not very popular, nor easy
that applies mainly to being a Christian
but also to being successful, successful people go down roads less traveled
today the Bible will give us an example of all this in action
Scripture Background
Scripture Background
The descendants of Abraham, that we call, “the children of Israel” and they had been in slavery for over 400 years in the land of Egypt
God rescues them using Moses
God causes 10 super natural events to occur and they leave Egypt as free people
they have also see other miracles and wondrous acts of God
Crossing the Red Sea to escape Pharoah when he gives chase
bread fall from the sky when they are hungry, water from a rock
Now there are on the verge of entering the Promised Land, the land promised to their ancestor Abraham, way back in the Book of Genesis
a land “flowing with milk and honey” - - a very good and fertile land
they send 12 guys to check it out the land, to spy the land, and when they come back they all report that the land is indeed very good, but . . . . they also add that the people that they have to defeat are strong and large, and their cities are well fortified
based on that info, 10 of the spies suggest that it can’t be done, and 2 of the spies say that it can be done . . . they are at a crossroads
we will have to jump around a little bit to allow you to see the crossroads
Road 1
Road 1
it will turn out to be the wrong one, but let’s look at it
4 So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.”
why?
Numbers 13:32b (NASB95)
32b “The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size.
all these words apply: dangerous, difficult, impossible, others have failed (devours its inhabitants), we will be destroyed
In Summary
Egypt represents the road they were on previously
like taking an exit, and then staying on the service road, and entering highway again
keep things the way they were - back to slavery (the road you pick says something about your mentality), back to being treated bad, but at least we know that road
Road 2
Road 2
this would have been the right road
Numbers 13:30b (NASB95)
30b “We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it.”
why?
9 “Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.”
But they chose Road 1
But they chose Road 1
let’s examine their decision
1st problem is that once they got the info/reports, they did not stop and look at the crossroads, like we learned in series 1 . . . .they let feelings take over and rushed to a decision
1 Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night.
that very night, they were done, decision made, mind made up,
did not have a sit down, to debate the pros and cons, to really look at it
did not have a prayer meeting to ask for guidance . . . got all in their feelings and just jumped straight to the wrong conclusions
Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb tried to change their minds but it was already too late
in fact they would have killed them if God had not intervened
church make sure that we stop and look
take more than a minute to make a decision that will impact the rest of your life
get some godly counsel
pray about it, think about it, pray about it again
stop and look
2nd problem is that they did not choose the ancient, godly roads
they were descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
their ancestors traveled down roads that took faith, believing in the promises of God, trusting God to do the impossible
their descendants faced great obstacles too, but chose to believe in God and his promises . . . that’s the ancient, godly road
church make sure that you remember the ancient. godly ways
remember things that our forefathers trusted in God despite a cruel and unfair world
remember that Christian grandfather or Grandmother, and how they believed God
that aunt that loved the Lord, that pastor who didn’t give up
as a church, look back at our 40 year history and remember the ancient ways
3rd problem is that they are not really looking at the roads, but looking at themselves
and comparing the problem to themselves
you’re in trouble of choosing the wrong road when you start measuring yourself against the problem
33 We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!”
they said, compared to them we are like grasshoppers
we tend to do the same things: look at our ability, talent, resources, experiences, preparation, connections, and say that we don’t measure up to promise road
and this helps bring in to focus our first scripture from the first lesson: “look at the crossroad”
don’t look at yourself, look at the road, your job is to figure out . . .
which is the right road
which is the road God wants you to travel
which road is God calling you to
not how are you going to make it, travel it, amount of supplies . . . that’s God’s job
it’s not about you, but the road God has called you to
so just like we say in driving, keep your eye on the road
accidents come when we are not watching the road
mistakes happen when distracted by other things
ever miss an exit because you were distracted?
your sole focus should be “God, what is the right road”
stop trying to figure out “how” . . . God will make it plain, once you get on the road!
church, just look at the road, don’t worry about
how can I
how will my family
how can my church . . .
building fund . . . is getting on the road
you have to do the same in your own life, get on the right road, and stop looking at yourself.
4th problem is that then went through wide gate and traveled the broad way
only 2 of the 12 said we can and should travel down road 2, but people decided to reject them, and go with the 10, the majority, the popular opinion, the seemingly easier way (wide gate, broad way)
but we learned church, that often the right way, the successful way, passes through a small gate that leads to a narrow road. The right way is more often than not, difficult and unpopular
but they chose the wide gate and broad way
church, you should worry if you are always with the majority
the easy way does not lead to great results
so don’t worry about the number of people who are with you, the just choose the right road when you are at the crossroads
go ahead and step out on faith thought the way may be lonely, hard, hurtful
even if it is just you and God, go with God . . . for if God be for us, who can be against us?
Unintended Results
Unintended Results
so they chose Road 1 . . . head back to Egypt . . . that road represents the wide gate, the broad way . . . forget the ancient ways, the godly way, we will return to Egypt
and that’s when they found out that Road 1 did not lead back to Egypt but to destruction
God took their choosing of Road 1 as a personal rejection
11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people spurn Me? And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst?
“How long will this people spurn me, not believe in me”
NLT - treat me with contempt
ESV - despise me
KJV - provoke me
CEV - reject me
God always jumps to the root of the problem, the heart of the matter
the road you chose shows what you think about me
you have a problem with me
don’t believe , you don’t think I have the power, you don’t think I know what I am doing, you don’t think I am faithful, you think very little of me
So God says your choice of Road 1 will not lead back to egypt, instead it will lead to 40 wandering in the wilderness, where you will die . . . your choice doesn’t lead back to what you had, it leads to destruction
and that’s what so important about your decision making heading in to 2022
your safe pick, that doesn’t take faith, the one that looks easier . . . my actually be harder and more dangerous, and leads to destruction
the option of staying the same, keeping what I got . . . might not be on the table
the only options might be things get worse or better
we love to think we know worst case/best case scenario . . . you really don’t
you might be making a mistake that you can’t recover from
about to receive a blessing beyond what you could ask or think
so at every crossroad, stand and look, and beg God to show you the right way!
ask God, Lord show me your way
let me hear your vice
guide my every step
light my pathway
I don’t want to lean to my own understanding, but in all my ways I want to acknowledge you
Help me to walk in the light, and not in darkness
be my shepherd and make me lie down in green pastures, lead me beside still waters
and if the road you want me on, takes me through the valley of the shadow of death, I’m comforted because I know you are with me
I want the road, where you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies
I want the road, where my life is anointed and my cup overflows
I want the road where goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life
so as I stand at the crossroads, I am not ashamed to say that I need you!
I need you point me in the right direction
I need you to help me to walk in it
The rest of the story
The rest of the story
Joshua and Caleb were the two of ten spies who encouraged the people to trust in the Lord
God blessed them to survive the 40 years, and they both made it to the promised land
But God mentions Caleb, specifically
24 “But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it.
Caleb has a different spirit, different attitude, different mindset . . . he stood at the crossroads and chose the ancient, godly way
he was willing to be one of the few to travel through the small gate and walk the narrow way
you are at a crossroads, or will face a crossroad . . . you have choices to make, important choices
probably a lot more important than you realize
don’t rush the decision and be all in your feelings . . . it’s not what I wanted/expected
but stop and think and consider the ancient, godly ways
understand that the gate might be small, the way might be narrow, and unpopular
and even still, choose God’s way
my story
crossroads to continue college or not
Dad said, I don’t expect you to finish
not trying to dog me . . . college is not for everyone
trying to make me realize that I was at a crossroads
I chose to continue
23 years of teaching, had the skill, but school needed validation of excellence
learned about a gift that I did not know about
I use it today in pastoring/preaching
teaching would give me time to work on my music gift during breaks
met so many people through teaching - future assistant Pastor
other blessings like getting to see my sister and father almost every day for 23 years
homes school my own children at a school, during formative years
many more blessings
Invitation
Invitation
the biggest crossroad is whether to become a Christian or not
Choose wrong and destruction awaits . . . in this life, and the next