SOME OTHER WAY

TEXT  John 10:1

INTRODUCTION: Good men are compared to sheep. God called His people a flock.

Ezekiel 34:31  And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD. Good men have the qualities of sheep, harmless, and inoffensive, meek and quiet under the hand of both the shearer and the butcher. 

The sheepfold was a place where the sheep were out for protection from thieves and harmful beasts.  There was a door into the fold through which the true shepherd cold enter.  The their might climb up and enter through a window, or a breach int eh wall, or even over the top of the wall.  Jesus is the door; by Him men inter into the Kingdom, by Him men are saved

John 10:9  I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 

Through Christ only can men be saved.  There are other ways by which men are trying to be saved.

I.          WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OTHER WAYS

A.      The self righteous way

Romans 10:3  For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

1.      There are those who have not submitted to the righteousness of God

2.      They refuse to walk in the right way and have gone about to establish their own righteousness

3.      On their own righteousness they are trying to get to heaven

B.      The way of the fool

Proverbs 12:15  The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.

1.      The Bible speaks often of the fool, usually referring to unbelievers

2.      They justify themselves in their own way. 

3.      They console themselves in believing their way to be right

4.      The way which they travel does not lead to life

C.      The way of the hypocrite

Luke 6:41-42  And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.

1.      A mote is something particularly small, like a particle of dust floating int the air

2.      A beam is a big piece of timber or metal, long in proportion to its thickness

3.      The sins of the hypocrites were large like beams, but they ignored their own sins, leading themselves to believe they were right in their own ways while they beheld little things in the lives of others, even as small as motes.

4.      The way of the hypocrite leads to death

D.      There is a way that seems right

Proverbs 16:25  There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

1.      The way of the self-righteous man seems right to himself

a)  The way of the fool, the sinner and the ungodly seemeth right to themselves

b)  The way of the Hypocrite seems right to himself

2.      You may drive down a highway that seems right

a)  You have an uneasy feeling

b)  You are not sure  it is the right road, yet it seems right, but the end of that road is not the place to which you have started

c)  The may ways through life may seem to be right, but every way should be thoroughly tested.

II.        WHY TRY TO GET TO HEAVEN SOME OTHER WAY

A.      The Lord advised that a diligent search be made for the old paths, and that His people walk therein

1.      There is rest and contentment when you know that you are in the right way

Jeremiah 6:16  Thus saith the LORD, 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. But they said, We will not walk therein.

Lamentations 3:40  Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.

B.      They are on some other way because they will not hear and accept the truth

Acts 28:25-27  And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers,  Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:  For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

1.      Paul was preaching to the Romans

a)  He referred them to a statement made by Isaiah

b)  The people in Rome were similar to those in Isaiah's time

c)  They listened to Paul but would not accept the truth

d)  They were capable of seeing and understanding, but closed their eyes and ears to the truth

2.      There are many in this generation like the Romans and those to whom Isaiah prophesied

a)  They are trying to climb up some other way

b)  They will not hear the truth

C.      They accept some other way with the hope of gratifying their own lust

2 Timothy 4:3  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

1.      Paul said "The time will come" and we believe it is now here when men will not endure sound doctrine

2.      They have departed from the true way and stand in "Some other way" listening to teachers evade the truth

D.      They don=t like to bear the cross

Mark 8:34  And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

1.      All in the true way must bear the cross

2.      Those  who travel "some other way" are  not compelled to carry the cross

3.      There is a reproach in the cross that they are not willing to bear

III.      THE CONTRAST OF THE END OF THE WAYS

The true way is one and only one.  The other ways may be many as there were many ways by which the thief could enter into the sheepfold, but only one door through which the rue shepherd entered and through which the sheep passed peacefully in and out

Matthew 25:33  And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

A.      The end of the true way

Matthew 25:34  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

1.      At the end there is hope

2.      It will be the beginning of everlasting life

3.      There will be eternal joy and perpetual happiness

4.      In the beginning God made preparation

a)  He will say "come ye blessed

b)  He will present their inheritance

B.      The end of the "Some other ways"

Matthew 25:41  Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

1.      Those on the left hand are those who have come to the end of life by the many ways other than the true way

2.      They are not classified, not separated

3.      All enter the same home

4.      They are cursed

5.      They are separated from God

6.      They are put in the fire

7.      The fire burns forever

C.      Make your choice today

1.      Choosing of your way of life determines your future

2.      The end of life is a late hour for decision

3.      Let him that thinks he is on the right road take heed and check the signs by the way, search his own individual life, and examine himself and make sure he is in the faith

CONCLUSION: It will be an awful thing to wake up at the end of the way and find that you have traveled the wrong road.  It will be too late to inquire for the right way.  It is the duty of every man, he owes it to himself to take time out and determine for himself the way of life that he is traveling.