What is
our final destination? As Christians we hope and desire this to be heaven. Our
belief that one day, Jesus will return for his children and we will be taken
with him to paradise. All believers have a unique path/route to our final
destination. We can all be sure that the path we travel will not be an easy
one.
Matthew 7:13-14
Enter through the narrow
gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to
destruction, and many enter through it.
But small is the gate and
narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Matthew 22:14
For many are invited, but few
are chosen.
Many of us lived during a time
where there were no WAZE or Google maps, but there was something called
MapQuest. We would print out directions to our destination and would have to
follow it strictly or get lost. At least now, if we get lost the apps can
re-direct us towards the correct path and even sometimes find a new route. This
can happen so often in our Christian lives and sometimes we may be able to
re-cover and sometimes we may be lost forever.
So now we enter our
Destination, Heaven and the app starts to calculate our route. We will first
see the map pop up on the screen, and on the bottom is the arrival time and how
many miles to our destination. All of us have different time of arrivals and
some may have less miles than others too their final destination.
As
Christians the Road Map is Jesus.
John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I
am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through me
He is the Alpha
and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. There is
nothing that will happen in our journey that God does not know about.
Jesus is at our center and the main focus in our lives. He
left earth to prepare paradise for us and when he returns, he will take this
chosen to their final destination. His road/path is the only way for us the
reach heaven.
So we turn on the engine, check our mirrors, full tank of gas
and put the car into drive and we are on our way. Thirty minutes in we run into
a Crash/Hazard icon display.
1.
Crash/Hazard
These are events that will
deter our path. Sin is the major Hazard that can cause a Crash.
Sometimes we can’t walk away
from that crash depending on the sin.
Colossians 3:8
But now you must also rid
yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice,
slander, and filthy language from your lips.
Proverbs 6:16-19
Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked
schemes, feet that are
quick to rush into evil,
A false witness who pours
out lies and a person who
stirs up conflict in the community.
Hebrews 13:5/Matthew 6:24
Keep
your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you
have, because God has said,“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake
you.
We can’t serve two
masters.
I Corinthians
6:9-11
Or do you not know that
wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be
deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor
adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards
nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
The world has changed, and many
Christians and churches rather have acceptance from society than follow the
teachings in the Bible. What has been spoken by God can never be changed by
man. His truths and commandments will be forever our guide and altering them is
sin. These hazards will only cause us to crash and not reach our destination.
Our path could be done due to this sin/crash, or our route will begin to start
re-calculating and we may be heading in the wrong direction and destination. But
God promises to protect us and he will never put us in a situation to sin
without giving us a way out.
I Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has
overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he
will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are
tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
Psalms 121:7-8
The Lord will keep you from all harm—he
will watch over your life;
The Lord will watch over your coming
and going both now and
forevermore.
We passed the Hazard/Crash and
we are back on the road. We hit the major highway and hit the dreaded Traffic.
2.
Traffic
We all have sat in NY traffic,
especially if you are trying to go to the airport or any other place in NY
during rush hour. What can Traffic teach us?
Patience
Romans 12:12
Be joyful in hope, patient
in affliction, faithful in prayer.
David was 30years old when he became
King.
Jesus was 30years old when he
started his Ministry.
Abraham was 100years old when
Isaac was born.
Israel wandered 40years in the
wilderness.
These are examples of paths
that take longer than what we might want or expect.
Perseverance
Romans 5:3
Not only so, but we also glory
in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance
James 1:12
Blessed is the one who perseveres
under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the
crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
Job is one of the most popular stories of perseverance that comes
to mind. His example was one of extreme pain and sorrow. Yet through it all,
Job stayed true to God and his faith. Even in the darkest times, through death
and turmoil, questions of faith and God, Job was faithful and trusted God’s
plan.
Other examples are Jeremiah,
Paul, Jesus all went through so much and persevered for the Glory of God. Their
path may have hit some traffic but their destination was reached.
There will always be
hazards/crashes that cause traffic. It will test our patient and perseverance. In
those dark times we must continually pray to God and believe is his mercies and
grace.
Finally we get passed all the
Traffic and start speeding to make up for lost time. Of course who is waiting
at the end of the highway…hidden Police car.
3.
Police
When we are running late for
work or rushing for an appointment we might go over the posted speed limit. Or
we may not completely stop at the Stop sign or even speed up when the light
hits yellow. We see those flashing
lights of the police car and our hearts start to pound a little harder.
In our Christian lives the
Police are there to help us to continue in the path of good and there are many
Police types in our community.
In our Christian Life the
Police are:
1.
Jesus
2.
Parents/Siblings/Teachers
3.
Pastors/Elders
4.
Fellow
Member/Anyone directing us on the correct path etc
Romans 13:4
For the one in authority is
God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not
bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring
punishment on the wrongdoer.
Proverbs 22:6
Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they
will not turn from it.
They help us regulate and help
us reflect and realize when we are doing something wrong. We all make mistakes
and sometimes having people police us can help us in our Christian lives. They
can warns us of future dangers and have experience that we may be lacking. They
are not there to judge us our put us down, but as true believers to uplift our
spirits and continue to strengthen our belief in the Lord.
4.
Group Chat
Fellowship is a huge part of
the Christian community. It is a group or communities whom have the same
interest/focus and goal. In Christian life Jesus is our focus and to live a
life of holiness.
1 John 1:3
What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that
you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father,
and with His Son Jesus Christ.
Our Christian lives can be stronger when we share our faith
with others and can bring us closer to God.
Matthew 18:20
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I
among them.
Jesus had 12 disciples and they had a fellowship to spread
the truth and word of God to the multitudes. They had each other to rely on
when times became difficult and had the Son of God for guidance. On our drive
through life the hazards, crash and traffic are much easier to deal with when
we have others to share our faith with. We can’t live alone in this world and
having a Fellowship with God also means spreading his word and sharing our
lives/stories with others to bring them closer to God. When others see the
peace and love that God has given us in our lives, they should be drawn too
that and search in their hearts for the one true God.
1 John 1:5-7
This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to
you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that
we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not
practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light,
we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us
from all sin.
5.
Roadside
Assistance - Holy Spirit
We can think of the Holy Spirit
as calling shotgun for the ride of our lives in front of us. Jesus sent the
Spirit to be our Helper, Comforter and Guide.
John 14:16
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another
advocate to help you and be with you forever
The Spirit is alongside us on our journey and is in our
hearts guiding us to make correct decisions. That little voice telling us to do
the right thing. Jesus left the Spirit here with us to help us in his absence
as he is preparing heaven for us. The
Spirit helps reveal truth and messages from God. It helps us interpret God’s
Word.
John 16:13
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide
you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only
what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
He is the ultimate guide while we are driving to our final
destination. He helps lead the way, remove hazards, gives us understanding and
makes things plain and clear. He leads in the way we should go in all
spiritual things. Without such a guide we make get lost. The Holy Spirit also
is a gift giver, or we can think of snacks on our long ride. Who doesn’t love
stopping at a Gas station and picking up tasty chips and soda.
1 Corinthians 12:7-11
Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit
is given for the common good. To one there is given
through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of
knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to
another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that
one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to
another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to
another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another
the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the
same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
We are to spread and pass on the Word of God to
others. Creating a Fellowship that shows his grace, mercy and glorifying his
name. When the Spirit is with us we also produce fruit in our own
lives that help us through our journey.
Galatians
5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no
law.
The Holy Spirit dwells
with us forever, and He will never leave or forsake us is cause for great joy
and comfort. Our life will never be that easy but we have the Spirit to help us
through the narrow path.
In Conclusion:
All of our routes are going to
be different. We all have different times to reach our destination, but our
destination is all the same, Heaven. We will hit Hazards with sin and sometimes
it will cause us too Crash. Sometimes that Crash can end our path earlier than
we expect and that is life. Traffic will slow us down but remember it is God
testing and teaching us patience and perseverance. If God gave us everything we
wanted there would be no need to pray or serve him. We are just visitors on
Earth and our permanent resident is in heaven. Our earthly life is a short trip
compared to what is awaiting for us in heaven, Eternity. We get to ride with
God for the rest of our lives, to live in paradise. Police/Pastors/Parents are
our Guides and keep us on track to follow the commandments of God and stay in
the correct path. Jesus left the Holy Spirit to as a Comforter and Guide
through the path which for a Christian is narrow. Do not let the Devil re-route
your path to your final Destination, Heaven. Life will test us, but remember,
no matter what you’re going through, if God woke you up this morning He’s not
finished with you. There’s a purpose for your pain and he can find another way
around that roadblock.
We must Repent and ask God
for forgiveness.
The only one way too Heaven is
driving with Jesus in our hearts.
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