Pay The Toll To Reach The Goal
Matthew 26:36-46
My wife and I took a journey up north a few weeks ago, because we had decided to visit New York. As soon as we entered Richmond, we had to pay a toll fare. As soon as we reached D.C we had to pay a toll. From Maryland to New York we had to pay a toll in order to reach the goal. Life is the same way young people. In order to reach a destination, whether it be in the field of sports, sciences or military, you have to make up in your minds that in you’re going to pay a toll in order to reach the goal.
Too many of our young people are High School drop outs. Too many are in jail. Too many are, too soon, six feet under the earth, all because they failed to pay the toll in order to reach the goal.
But I have a question tonight. What if Jesus had quit? What if Jesus had given in to the pressures of trying to please man instead of pleasing God. In tonight’s lesson, I hope to inspire a determination within you to pay the toll in order to reach the goal. I hope that God will allow this message to radically change your destinations, so that you won’t end up selling drugs, incarcerated, dropping out of school and abusing your bodies.
In our tonight, the Lord teaches us how to be steadfast and unmovable. In the Gospel according to Matthew Jesus in verse 36 has just entered the garden of Gethsemane. Its called the garden of Gethsemane because of the many Oil Mills and Olive trees. It is a place where workers, after having picked the olives from trees, would crush them in order to extract the precious oil. It was hard, but also a rewarding because the price for oil at that time was very high.
The Garden of Gethsemane has been compared to the Garden of Eden. It was in the garden of Eden that the first man Adam failed to pay the toll. Its in the second garden called Gethsemane where Christ, also referred to as the second Adam will pay the toll in order to reach the goal.
Yes it is in the garden of Gethsemane where Jesus Christ will have to undergo some crushing like an olive in order for the Oil of the Holy Spirit to anoint those who would follow him, and I’m here to tell you tonight that if you’re going to pay the toll in order to reach the goal:
Pt. 1. You must endure some crushing experiences.
A. In life, you must understand that nothing good ever comes easy.
B. Like Jesus, if you’re going to be used by God to do the most, you must endure the most.
C. To endure means you handle the pressure without breaking or retreating.
Well brother Pastor, Why does God allow us to face crushing experiences?
A. Like the olives that are crushed in order to bring forth valuable oil, God has to bring forth a better you. He has to develop character.
B. God has to allow crushing experiences to bring out and rid your lives of the sin that so easily besets you. God has to bring you into the garden to loose you from bondages before you can reach your final destination.
C. God has to teach you self control and conflict resolution.
* The Bible tells us in verses 36 and 37 that Christ told most of His disciples to sit while he goes off to pray, but he told three of his disciples to come with him.
Pt. 2 Everybody can’t go where you go.
A. You’ve got to understand tonight that some friends won’t always be friends. That the people that came with you this far in life won’t always be able to travel with you the rest of your life. God will have to sit some people down out of your lives.
B. You’ve got to understand that sometimes God will call you out in order to bring you in.
1. In life God will always call you out of sin, out of bad relationships, out of destructive environments.
2. In life, despite the friendships you may loose, make sure you don’t loose site of God.
C. Again, the Lord took Peter, James and John. You will notice that these three men all witnessed the transfiguration of the Lord. They saw His Glory. Now the Lord allows them to see his pain. (Read Verses 37-38)
1. If you’re going to pay the toll, you must be honest with yourself and others. Be real!
2. You must understand that God will expose you to pain so that you will become sensitive to the pain of others. (Jesus became a man)
A. They saw and felt the burden of the Lord.
B. Sufferings for Christ reaffirms who we are in Christ.
Pt. 3 Must learn to watch as well as pray.
1. He understood that prayer would give him the strength.
2. He understood that prayer would keep the vision in focus.
3. He understood that prayer would keep him connected to the Father.
Pt. 4 Must learn to accept God’s will even when you know what’s going to happen.
A. Jesus shows us what to do in the garden.
1. Instead of retreating he starts praying.
2. He understood what was about to happen.
3. He understood that if he was going to reach the goal there had to be a toll. He had give his life
