This sermon and the other "road sign" sermons made use of common "road signs" that were projected on the worship screen for visual impact.
God’s road signs Part 1 Jeremiah 31:21-22
In the words of the singing group, The Five Man Electrical Band,
Signs, Signs, everywhere there’s signs
Blocking out the scenery breaking my mind
Do this don’t do that, can’t you read the signs.
We live in a world full of signs. Billboard signs and neon signs. Yard sale signs nailed to a telephone pole and house for sale signs stuck in front yards all over town. School signs…street signs…business signs…garage sale signs and especially road signs.
And it doesn’t matter where you go, road signs are everywhere. Sometimes the signs are confusing…like this sign (Post the nowhere to go sign…with all three arrows crossed off) How would you like to have just gotten your license, and drive down the street only to encounter that sign? Looking at that, which way do you go?
But it could be worse. You could be driving along, and while driving by doing 40 miles an hour try to make sense out of these signs in Tuscany. (Post the confusion in Tuscany sign…with six different signs)
And what about this sign? (post no warnings sign). If there are no warnings ahead, what do you need a sign for? And I guess this sign was put up for those people who have absolutely no clue about where they are (post no idea where I am going…? and arrow sign)
Some signs draw attention to potential dangers…like this sign for deer crossing sign (post the correlating sign after each) …or elk crossing. Do you know there are signs for turtle crossings…kangaroo crossing…frog…giraffe…burrow… otter…and even zebra crossing!! Senior citizens might be interested in the elderly crossing sign. And talk about hazardous duty pay…what about this waiter crossing sign!!
Some signs make no sense…at least initially. Like this sign (post going in different directions sign), which indicates that you can go in three different directions at the same time. Or this one…(post hulahoop sign) where you yield I guess to yield to hullahoopers!! Or this directional sign that only dyslectics could understand. (keep right sign) While the sign is telling you to keep right, it is pointing you to the left.
And I don’t know (post hitchhikers sign) where this sign is located…but if I ever see it, I’m locking the car doors and speeding up!!
You are probably thinking…what do road signs have to do with the Christian faith? Well in Jeremiah 31, God said these words to his people through the prophet Jeremiah
"Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Take note of the highway, the road that you take. Return, O Virgin Israel, return to your towns. 22 How long will you wander, O unfaithful daughter?…(Jeremiah 31:21-22a…leave up until ***)
The nation of Israel had been drifting…wandering away from God. They had lost their way…their spiritual bearings as a people. And so God says…
Take note of the highway, the road that you take.
Be aware of where you are heading…
Set up road signs; put up guideposts
And follow them. Quit wandering and return. You see, like roads signs exist to guide and warn the motorist, the road signs and guideposts that Israel was to erect was to assist them in staying “on course”. The problem with Israel was that they were roving. Their heart as a nation wasn’t on their God. And to correct them, God allowed them to be conquered. They had ignored God’s prophets and preachers and failed to pay attention to God’s warnings and directions. They had stopped noticing the “road signs” God placed before them.
And that’s an easy thing to do. For when you see the road signs all the time, you tend to overlook them. Who in here will admit that they have at some time in their life run a stop sign? Hold your hand up!! Well, neither have I. How can you miss a big, red octagon sign that simply says STOP!! Well, you just are so accustomed to seeing it that you fail to notice it.
When I first moved to Pekin from Campbellsville, Kentucky I was driving a church member in our downtown area. I had been living in Pekin for two weeks or so…and Todd and I were talking in the car and I was driving through the downtown area…when he said,
“Ah, are you OK?”
“I said “Sure…why do you ask?”
He replied, “You just drove through two red lights…and you’re about to run a third.”
And I slammed on the brakes…looked around and noticed that in the downtown area of Pekin, the traffic lights were on poles off to the side of the intersection. Everywhere else in the city…except in these three blocks, the traffic lights are strung over the intersection. But these three blocks had the traffic lights off to the side. Now at that time, I had my license for 22 years. And I was so accustomed to traffic lights suspended over the intersection…I never saw them. And I never told Todd…and had driven through that downtown area a dozen times by then…and had run those lights every time!!
Some times you are so accustomed to traffic signs…you stop noticing them. And that’s what happened to the nation of Israel. God had given Israel a practical life map to live their lives for Him…THE OLD TESTAMENT. And then he posted road signs along the way to keep them on the right course…the prophets, His judgment, godly kings. But Israel ceased paying attention to them. And that’s what caused them to spiritually wander. (***)
And today, God has given us a road map for life…the Bible. And God’s word tells us which roads we should travel. It explains everything we need to know for this trip through life on our way to heaven. It contains the road signs that help keep us on the right path. And like the person who finds himself driving somewhere he has never been is forced to pay attention, so must we…if we don’t want to lose our way. Proverbs 2:9-13 says that when we
“…understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will know how to find the right course of action every time. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. 11 Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you. 12 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, 13 who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways…” (Leave up until ***)
Did you catch that? When we stay in the word of God, we discover “how to find the right course of action every time.” And the wisdom we receive from the Bible will save you from the ways of wicked men and will keep you from wandering and leaving the straight paths to walk in dark ways. (***) If you want to make sure you are always going in the right direction…if you want to make sure your decisions are always the best…then follow these road signs God gives in his word.
I. THE FIRST ROAD SIGN IS THE STOP SIGN.
(post STOP sign)
You know, for Christians to stay on the right path in life…and for us to be effective in sharing Christ and serving others…there are things we have to be very carefully about. And one of those things is controlling our speech. The third chapter of the book of James teaches us the importance of controlling our tongue reminding us that the tongue is like an uncontrollable fire (post James 3:6). James 3:8 (post) tells us that it is “full of evil”. 2 Peter 1:5-9 (post) teaches us that self control… (which certainly includes knowing how to control your tongue) is one of the cardinal virtues to seek to incorporate into your life. By the way, that text goes so far as to say that without it, your life and ministry will be less effective and unproductive. Jesus warned us that one day
36…men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:36-37)
In Philippians 4:2, when two women are in some serious disagreement, the apostle Paul (post STOP sign) puts up the STOP sign and says
Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. (NLT)
In so many words Paul says “Stop fighting and Fix it”. You see, Paul knew that disagreements between believers can cripple a church and its ministry. Every church who has been through a split knows how true that is. Paul is so serious about this issue that he says take a drastic step in Romans 16:17
Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.(KJV)
Having been a pastor for more than 25 years now, I can tell you first hand that few things in life will get you into trouble deeper and neutralize your witness more quickly than having a loose cannon for a tongue. I have seen it destroy marriages…friendships and even churches. We all need to “put on the brakes” (post STOP sign) when it comes to careless speech.
But it is not just our words we have to be careful of. We also need to stop sinful actions. In John 8, we read about a woman caught in adultery, who becomes a pawn in the Pharisees game to trap Jesus. The law called for such people to be stoned. But Jesus, knowing they were using her for their evil purposes says to those who wish to stone her, “Whoever is without sin, you can cast the first stone.” And one by one they dropped their stones and walked away. And remember what Jesus said to her in John 8:10-11
"Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" 11"No one, sir," she said. “ Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
When Jesus forgave her, He didn’t let her “off the hook”. If anything, He placed on her shoulders an even greater responsibility. Now as a recipient of His grace, she was to cease with that sinful act.
As Christians who are saved by grace…born again from above…and possessors of God’s Holy Spirit…we can never forget that the eternal security we have as children of God DOES NOT MEAN we can continue to go living anyway we want. God EXPECTS US TO LIVE HOLY LIVES. Jesus said
48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
That word “perfect” is the Greek word “telios” which might better be translated as “be complete in the development of your moral character”. In Romans 6:1-2 the apostle Paul has been speaking about God’s grace that covers our sin and offers us eternal life. And he says
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid….(KJV)
Paul point is…grace doesn’t relieve us of our responsibility to do right…to be holy people. It increases our responsibility. And if we start wandering into sin, God help us to have someone to throw up a stop sign. (post STOP sign…and leave up)
Now let’s remember real quick…what is the purpose of a stop sign in our world? To control the flow of traffic. It prevents us from accidents and injuries while going about our business in life.
And listen to me very carefully…those people who have no stop signs in their lives…end up wrecked and injured. Listen to me…even Christians. Especially Christians. If you think you can go through life living any way you want…doing whatever you want…you are heading for an accident that will injure you deeply. The Bible says,
7Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:7-8)
In driving down the highway of life…(post Jeremiah 31:21-22a), to keep us from wandering off the straight and narrow, let’s make sure we heed God’s stop signs. But let’s also pay attention to the second sign, which is
II. THE YIELD SIGN.
(post a yield sign…and leave up until ***)
The Old Testament nation of Israel got in trouble because there were sins they refused to STOP doing. Following after false gods. Ignoring the words of God’s prophets. Neglecting God’s commands. And they paid the price for their refusal to stop…by being conquered and taken away into captivity by the Babylonians.
But please understand…their refusal to STOP their sinful actions was simply an OUTWARD SIGN of an INWARD ATTITUDE. They did what they did because they refused to YIELD to God’s will for them.
Ultimately, that’s what sin really is. God says not to do something and we are tempted to do it. And suddenly, we are faced with the choice…do we do what we want …what our sinful flesh longs for? Or do we YIELD to God’s will, and resist. You see, just like sometimes when you are driving stopping is necessary…so is yielding. And in the spiritual sense, yielding has to do with being compliant and submissive to God and His will. (***) Remember the model prayer that Jesus taught his apostles? Jesus said
9"This, then, is how you should pray: " ’Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:9-10 …leave up until ***)
Now remember…we are talking about the signs we need to follow in life so that we don’t get off course spiritually speaking and start wandering form God. (***) And there is no faster way to start spiritually wandering than to make one small change in that prayer. Instead of living with the attitude that God’s
10kingdom come, your will be done on earth (Matthew 6:10…Jay, can you change the “your” to “MY”)
To live with the attitude of God’s
10kingdom come, MY will be done on earth
To experience God’s peace, joy and power in our life, yielding to God’s will must be the practice of our life. James 4:15 says we
15ought to say, "If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that."
Listen, if you want to crash in life, just live the way you want. Don’t yield to God and His will and plan for your life and do whatever you want. Does anyone know what this highway sign means? (post merge right sign) It means the lane we are traveling in is about to end. I saw several of those signs when I was traveling back to Illinois from Ohio last week.
Now when you see that sign, you have a choice. You can be bullheaded about it and say, “This is the lane I want to drive in and I’m staying in this lane no matter what”. Or you can move over into the lane the state highway people have left open. Now understand…there are consequences to your choice. Refuse to merge right, and an accident is certain to happen. Merge right…and you can continue safely on your way.
There is a message in that for God’s people. With stubbornness, we can say, “I know what the Bible says. I know the signs God lays out in His word. But I want to do what I want to do”…and as surely that will lead to a spiritual crash in your life. One of the guideposts that indicates we are on the right course in life is when our will and God’s will suddenly merges together. The Psalmist said in Psalm 40:8
8 I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart."
You see, the psalmist’s will has merged with God’s will. And because of that, everything God desires the Psalmist does. Look at verse 9-10
9 I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, as you know, O LORD. 10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation. I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly.
You see, the battle we have as believers to live godly lives…is really a battle of wills. If you want to live your life doing what you want, you will find yourself stumbling and falling throughout your life as you walk with God. But when you will and God’s will merges…you not only remain on the path God wants you to take through life but you also become an incredible instrument for God. I think of Jesus, praying in Gethsemane. The Bible says Jesus
39…fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." 40Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. 41"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
42He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done." (Matthew 26:39-42)
And the Bible says in Matthew 26:44 that Jesus
44…prayed the third time, saying the same thing. (Matthew 26:44)
Have you ever wondered why Jesus prayed three times? He taught us not to be wordy or repetitious in our prayers…and here Jesus prays three times for the same thing. Why? Can I give you something to think about. After his first time praying, the Bible says Jesus returned to the disciples and said
41"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." (Matthew 26:41)
And I have always thought that was always simply directed at the apostles. But is it possible that those words of our Lord were directed as much AT HIMSELF as it was to them? It had to be a tempting thing for Jesus, who had the power to avert all the pain and shame of the cross. And with the weight of that hanging over Him, Jess prays not once…not twice…but three times as if to ensure that HIS WILL WAS COMPLETELY MERGED WITH GOD’S WILL. And through His death on the cross, which was the will of the Heavenly Father’s will, God provided the means for the sins of mankind to be paid. You see, God can do incredible things when we yield to God’s will…and when our will merges with God’s will. God said to his people to stop their wandering
"Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Take note of the highway, the road that you take. Return, O Virgin Israel, return to your towns. (Jeremiah 31:21)
Let’s choose to follow God’s STOP signs (post Stop sign)…God’s YIELD signs (post Yield sign) …and God’s MERGE sign (post MERGE RIGHT sign).
