May 19 “STOP, LOOK, AND LISTEN ON THE “HIGHWAY OF
LIFE!” Isaiah 1:18
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though yours sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)
Living has often been compared to driving, and as we pass from one day to the next, it is often referred to as traveling life’s “Highway.” Well, driving a car safely is serious business. Most of us realize that, but still there are many that simply do not! Because some folks don’t take driving seriously, we have a tremendous number of deaths and injuries on our highways and waterways every day. Each year, literally thousands of lives are lost because many do not realize just how serious driving is. My Daddy used to tell me that, “Accidents don’t just happen; they are caused,” and many of us are causing accidents to happen every day because we are not paying attention when we are driving. Daddy also used to tell me, “Enough happen in this life, by accident, don’t contribute to it!” There are some things that God wants to say to us as we drive down “Life’s Highway!” Now, we are not talking about highways of asphalt, concrete or steel. It’s not called highway I-540 or 85, etc…it is called the “Highway of Life.” This highway requires that we drive seriously and carefully, for if we fail to, the damages can be far worse than those that are caused from accidents on our highways of asphalt, concrete and steel! Like our physical highways, the “Highways of Life” also requires the 3 basic guidelines of “STOP, LOOK, and LISTEN,” of all of us who go down it who want to reach Heaven. STOP! If you are traveling the “Highway of Life” and are not taking it serious, God says, “STOP!” Have you ever noticed that some think that a Stop Sign simply means, “Slow down!” It really does mean, “STOP!” Why does God say to stop and not just slow down? Because there is danger ahead! If a person is approaching a cliff, they don’t need to slow down; they need to stop before it is too late. You see, it would make little difference if they went over the cliff at 10 miles per hour or a hundred miles per hour. The results are still the same! Many are heading for the cliff of eternity in Hell and they feel that they are safe if they just slow down on their sinning, but those who miss Heaven, by an inch, are no better off than those who miss it by a mile! “LOOK!” Next we believe God would say to everyone who is traveling the “Highway of Sin” and does not take it seriously---“LOOK!” There is nothing that Satan wants unbelievers to do more than not look where they are going! John 12:40says, “He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.” Spiritual blindness prevents us from seeing the danger ahead of us throughout eternity. Don’t let Satan continue to blind you! Open your eyes and look into God’s word and let it tell you where you are going! “LISTEN! GOD WANTS YOU TO LISTEN” Listen to God! You have listened to others long enough! What God says makes a lot of sense. “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” If you want rest from the pressures and challenges of life, He says you can “come to” HIM! Isaiah 1:18 lets us know that no one is as reasonable as our God. God wants us to “Hear Him” and to pay attention to our direction through this life. God promised us that He would see us through, as we travel this “HIGHWAY OF LIFE!” Friends, we must:
STOP---our sinning!
LOOK---at where sin would lead us and take it seriously!
LISTEN---to HIM! God tells us that HE wants to save us!
As you travel this “Highway of Life,” I encourage you to turn to God, through His Son, Jesus, for direction and purpose. If you don’t know the “Salvation and forgiveness of God,” it is really simple! ADMIT YOU ARE A SINNER ("All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23): BELIEVE THAT JESUS DIED FOR YOUR SINS, ROSE FROM THE DEAD AND THAT YOU TRUST IN HIM ALONE FOR YOUR SALVATION. ("Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved." Acts 16:31): CONFESS YOUR SINS ("If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins." 1 John 1:9)…If you would like to invite Jesus into your life, pray this prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, I understand that I am a sinner and I ask You for forgiveness. I believe that You died on the cross for my sins so that I could receive Your forgiveness and have eternal life. I ask You to come into my life right now and become my personal Savior. From this day forward, Lord, I give you control of my life. Make me a new person and help me to live for You. Amen… If you prayed to receive Jesus, I would like to know about it. You can contact me through this Facebook page. Praise God! Stay Strong, Stay Focused… Remember, THE BEST IS YET TO BE!