Sermon Central
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The Divided Highway Series
Contributed by Grant Adams on Dec 9, 2019 (message contributor)
Summary: How many of us can remember the day of 55 mph. It seemed like forever to get to our destination. With the age of the Superhighway, all of us desire to get on it and go, but when it comes to the spiritual road, we need to stay on the narrow way.
In this modern age of rapid travel and wide high-speed highways, it is possible to travel across counties and even states without the inconvenience of two-way traffic, speed zones or stop signs. It is not like the narrow often rough, roads that we traveled a few short years ago. Speed was limited, the traffic was single file and they seemed to go through every town on the map. Each town had its own speed limit and stop signs. Today, I would like to compare these physical highways with the spiritual highways spoken of by our Lord Jesus Christ.
I. The Broad Way
A. The Gate
1. “Wide is the gate” (vs. 13)
2. Open day and night, year in year out. A person may go to hell any time. Young or old, rich or poor. Hell will only be closed and sealed when God seals it for all eternity.
3. Unguarded. Satan is not the least bit particular about the inhabitants of His eternal home.
B. The Road
1. “Broad is the Way” (vs. 13)
a. Room to walk side by side with friends and relative’s hell can be a community project with all working together for the same place.
2. Flat. Possible downhill easily traveled with no obstacles nor restrictions. Smooth and well paved with the lies and deceptions of Satan and his disciples.
C. The people along the way “many”
1. False prophets (vs. 22)
2. False miracle workers (vs. 22)
3. False professors (vs. 22)
4. Social do-gooders (vs. 22)
5. Foolish people (vs. 26)
D. The sights along the road
1. The corrupt fruit trees (vs. 18)
a. Producing evil fruit.
2. Glittering artificial light
3. Houses built on sand (vs. 27)
E. The end of the road
1. “Leadeth to destruction”
2. Death
3. Eternal Hell
II. The Highway (vs. 14)
A. The gate
1. Straight. (Narrow, tight) difficult to navigate and impossible to deviate.
2. Well-guarded
B. The road
1. Narrow. Room for individuals
a. Salvation is a personal thing.
b. Sanctification is an individual separation unto God.
c. Service is up to the individual and the talents God has given him. We are never to compare our service with others but are to always measure it in the light of what Christ has done for us.
2. Uphill. In the service of Christ, it is always an uphill struggle to live the kind of life that is pleasing to Him.
3. Rough. Filled with obstacles and temptations but not a one that cannot be overcome.
C. The people along the way
1. Only Christians and Christ
a. Rich, poor, big, little, strong and weak. All brothers in Christ moving toward a better life and an eternal home.
D. The sights along the way
1. Good trees bringing forth good fruit. (vs. 17)
2. Light. John 1:4; Matthew 5:14
3. Houses built upon the solid rock (vs. 25)
E. The end of the road
1. Eternal life (vs. 13)
2. A home in heaven. John 14:2
3. Eternal joy and bliss. 1 Thessalonians 5:16