Good morning.  Today we are going to continue our series that takes a look at some of the road signs that we can find in God’s word.  Last week, I shared with you a few roads signs that I wouldn’t want to encounter.  Well, as we begin today, I have a few more funny road signs to share with you.

This first one, I would hate to have just gotten my license and pull out and encounter this set of signs.  So which way is the one way?

Or how about this one.  Last week I told you that they had all kinds of crossing signs, well here is one that I wonder about.  I don’t know about you, but I hope that no road is close enough to a runway that they actually have to look out for airplanes.

Okay, just 2 more.  This must be the sign for the person who never knows where they are.  All they need to do is continue to follow the signs, and they will remain lost I guess.

And finally, I don’t know how I would react if I was on the way to work and saw this road sign.  To tell you that you are going to be late for work and then laugh at you is just wrong.

Well, as we begin to get serious, allow me to begin with a word of prayer.  Let’s Pray!

I think that we can all agree that Jesus was a master teacher, clearly the greatest teacher of truth the world has ever known.  And He had the greatest challenge any teacher ever faced.  He had to take the incomprehensible truths about God’s perfect kingdom and translate them into understandable, human concepts.  To do that, Jesus used parables and stories.  Why?  Because stories have a way of communicating truths in a way that everyone can understand.  Just about everyone can follow along with a story.

Jesus also had the wonderful ability of being able to take familiar objects, everything and anything, and use it to explain spiritual truths.  Everyday things like seeds and dirt to talk about how the hearts of people determine what happens when the word of God is shared with them.  And sparrows and lilies in the field to speak about God providing care over His creation.  And grapevines when talking about the importance of staying connected to Jesus in order to be fruitful.

Jesus used all kinds of visuals and images.  He spoke on being a gate that people enter to come to God.  He used the images of salt and light when speaking of the illumination and preservation that His disciples are to bring to this world.  The Lord used children when talking about how one must receive the kingdom.  He spoke of being The Good Shepherd in communicating His concern for and His watch over those who are His.  Jesus used the image of “fishing with a net” when discussing how God will sort out people in the judgment at the end of the age.

And I’m convinced that if Jesus came today, He’d teach in a similar fashion since we are such a visual society today as well.  For years the church has understood the power of images.  Many churches have stained glass windows.  Art historians will tell you that each window tells a story and every image in the picture contributes to it.  We hang crosses in our churches and place them on church steeples.  We hang banners to draw our attention to a particular aspect of God.  We project Bible verses, so you not only hear them, but you see them as well.  We even take the words to our songs, and put them on the wall so that they are easily seen.

Now, I’m telling you all of this to explain my use of the highways signs in my sermons this week.  My prayer is that after last week, when you see a STOP sign, you will remember the importance of stopping the careless use of your tongue and sinful habits.  Or when you see the YIELD sign, or a MERGE sign, you will remember the importance of yielding to God’s will and merging your will with His.

Now we may jump to conclusions and say, “People won’t think that”…but I don’t want to buy that argument.  By show of hands, how many of you own a cross necklace?  Okay, and what do you think when you see someone wearing a cross?  Do you think of the barbaric means the Romans used to execute criminals, kind of like an ancient “electric chair?”  Or do you think of the sacrifice that Jesus paid?  You see, we have taken one image, and because we have seen that image often enough and had it explained to us, we now view the cross in a different light.

Okay, by show of hands, have you ever seen this symbol on the back of trucks, or cars, or on T-Shirts, or other places?  This is called an ICTHUS.  And it means much more than “fish.”  The word “icthus” is the Greek word for fish.  And the 5 Greek letters that form the word have their own meanings behind them as well.  The first letter:
I – Iesus, which means Jesus.
C – Christos, and that is Christ.
TH – Theos, which means God.
U – Huios, that is the Son.
S – Soter, which means Savior.

So in the days of the early church to make an “icthus” symbol, you were saying in code “Jesus Christ is God’s Son, and the real Savior.”  Because early Christians were often put to death for practicing their faith, they worshiped in secret places.  A fish painted on the outside door of a house let other Christians know that they would be safe and welcomed inside.  You see, we have taken this “fish symbol” and now use it to identify Christians.

When you see a Bible someplace, what do you think about it?  Do you think to yourself, “Here is the best selling book of the last 38 years?”  Or do you think, “There is the word of God.”

So, sometimes, when you see things, you think of other things that you have been shown and learned about.  And that is my hope when it comes to these road signs.  I want people to think about their walk with God, even when they are driving.

If you have your Bible’s with you, go ahead and turn with me to Psalm 19:1-4.  Here in this passage, it speaks of allowing everything speak of God.  Listen to these words.  Psalm 19:1-4 says, “1”

You see, just as Jesus used everyday objects to teach lessons, I want to be able to use everything and anything to “speak to you.”  I believe every time the apostles saw a farmer sowing his seed in the field, they remembered Jesus words, “A sower went out and sowed his seed.  And some fell here and others fell there …”  I believe when they walked by the sea and saw a boat battling the wind and the waves, they said, “Remember when Jesus spoke to the waves…and they listened to Him?  And what about the time the Lord came walking to us on the water?”

So, with that being said, I want us to look at a few more road signs that carry with them meaning for our walk with God.  I remind you that in Jeremiah 31, God said these words to His people through the prophet Jeremiah in verses 21-22.  He said, “2”

Let’s remember that the nation of Israel had been drifting, they were wandering away from God.  They had lost their spiritual bearings.  And so God says, “Take note of the highway... Be aware of the road that you take as you travel it… Set up roads signs to be obeyed…”

And just like roads signs exist to guide and warn drivers today, and they are here to help regulate the flow of traffic, the road signs and guideposts that Israel was to erect were to assist them in staying “on course” as well.  Israel had failed to pay attention to God’s directions.  They stopped noticing the “road signs” that God had placed before them.  And because of that, they faced hard and harsh times.

Last week we talked about 3 different roads signs: the STOP sign, the YIELD sign, and the MERGE RIGHT sign.  This morning, let’s look at a few more of the road signs that God lays down in His word to safely guide us through life.  And the first one is:

Beware Of Falling Objects Sign:

I was driving along the road one day, and I don’t remember where I was going, but I saw one of those signs and sure enough, just a little up the road part of the hill had slid and there were rocks scattered in the road.  Those “beware” signs are warning signs to stay alert and be on the watch for potential dangers.

And as we examine that type of road sign, we find that the Bible is filled with similar warnings, warnings that we don’t always take to heart like we should.  Matthew 7:15 says, “Watch out (or beware of) false prophets.  They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”

In Matthew 16:6, Jesus warned the apostles that the teaching of the Pharisees was like yeast, and their bad teaching would influence all the good teaching that they were receiving.  In Mark 12 Jesus told His followers to beware of the teachers of the law, who look pious, but do so out of ego and make themselves look good.  And then there is this warning in Job 36:21, “Beware of turning to evil, which you seem to prefer…”

Let’s be honest, the temptation of the flesh is strong.  It is so strong that it often makes evil sound like good and good sound like something evil.  And we have to beware that in our walk with God, we don’t “turn to evil.”  That is an interesting phrase, turning to evil.  It is not the completely falling into evil that we have to beware of.  Most of the time, we can see that coming.  Instead, it is the subtle turn to evil that we need to watch out for.  No one decides one day that they are going to be addicted to drugs or alcohol.  But it does start out with one time, maybe even done out of curiosity, and it leads to a full blown addiction.

We always have to be on our guard, because the flesh still prefers sin, even if we grow up in church and are actively involved in the church, our sinful nature still desires sin.  We can often see blatant, obvious evil.  But it is the subtle turning we have to watch out for.  It is that slight but powerful temptation that sways us away from God’s will and word that we have to “BEWARE OF.”  As Jesus said in the Garden of Gethsemane, “…the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”  Then in I Corinthians 15:33 it says, “Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.”

Proverbs 22:24-25 says, “Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared.”  It may not happen all at once, but over time the wrong friends and companions often influence us and turn us away from God.  It doesn’t matter how old you are, you have to be careful who you hang with.  Because the “falling object” may end up being you, sliding away from God.

And then in Galatians 6:1 it said this, “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently.  But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.”  There is a grave danger in being “unequally yoked,” whether we are talking about marriages or friendships.  So make sure you beware of the danger of being influenced by the wrong people.

The Slow Sign:

Slow signs are posted for safety reasons when the typical speed limit is too fast for safety.  And I think that some followers of Christ are always running “full speed” ahead.  Their life is on cruise control and they are going 70 mile per hour through life.  But there are times when the Bible tells us to slow down and wait on the Lord.  Do you know that the phrase “wait on the Lord” is found 21 different times in the Bible?  Let me give you just a few of them.

Psalm 27:14 – “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”  Understand this, it often takes real strength and courage to slow down and wait on God.
Psalm 37:7 – “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.”
Psalm 130:5-6 – “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I put my hope.  My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning…”
Isaiah 30:18 – “Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion.  For the LORD is a God of justice.  Blessed are all who wait for Him!”

There is a time in life to race full speed, and there are times in life to slow down and to meditate on God’s word.  There is a time in life to slow down, and wait for God to work ahead of you.  There is a time to slow down and take time to do all of the other important things in life.

We all need to be reminded that God hasn’t placed us here to simply speed through life, paying no attention to what others are doing around us.  God wants us to slow down to minister to those who cross our path.  In John 4, there was a Samaritan woman from the town of Sychar that Jesus slowed down to meet.  And if you know the story, her life was changed, and so were the lives of many people in that town that came to believe in Jesus, because the Lord “slowed down” and went through Samaria, stopping and helping this woman.

There was that time in Luke 17 where Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem to give Himself for the sins of this world.  On the way, He encounters 10 lepers in a village and doesn’t rush past them, but instead, He stops and heals them.  In Mark 10, Jesus and His disciples were leaving Jericho when a blind man called for the Lord to have mercy on him.  Jesus stopped and healed the man of his blindness.

That was the pattern of Jesus’ life.  He was never in too much of a hurry racing through life that He didn’t have time for people.  He ministered to others “as He went.”  And God doesn’t wants us to hurry through life either.  He doesn’t want us to pass by the needy and the hurting like the people did in the parable of the Good Samaritan.  God wants us to realize that the needs of people are important to Him, and that they must be more important to us.

I watch people every Sunday hurry home from church, or hurry out of church so that they can be the first to be served at the restaurants.  But then there are times that I have people approach me after church about problems going on in their life, or situations in their homes that they need advice or help with.  And most of the people in church that hurry out the doors never connect with those people and their needs because they are racing to get on with their own lives.

Please hear me when I say this, your life is to be focused on 2 things.  One, taking time with God, and secondly, making time for others.

I hope that you don’t make the mistake of hurrying through life so much that you don’t ever slow down and see who it is that God wants you to minister to.  Our time in this life is more than just sitting around and rushing through life.  It is making ourselves available to God and others.  Don’t hurry through life.  Slow down and see if there isn’t something God wants you to do.

So, that is a look at the Beware Of Falling Objects sign, and the warning to Slow down sign.  Now, there is one other sign that I want to share with you this morning, and that is:

The One Way Sign:

In John 14 Jesus is preparing His followers for His approaching death and He tells them something very interesting.  In John 14:1-5 Jesus says, “2”

And do you remember what Jesus said.  In John 14:6 Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”

As the Christ, which means “the anointed One of God,” Jesus says that there is only one true way to the Father.  And He is it.  That means not all religions are the same.  Listen, Jesus didn’t say “I am ONE OF THE WAYS” to the Father.  He said, “I am the way.”  You don’t make it to Heaven by doing good deeds.  You don’t make it to Heaven by giving generously.  You can’t make it to Heaven by being sincerely devoted to some belief.  You make it by going through Jesus, and Jesus only.

When Jesus said that He was “…that way…and No one comes to the Father except through me.” what He is saying is that there is only one way to God.  Our society says that a person can pick and choose the parts of different faith systems to create their own way to believe and end up in Heaven.  But don’t buy that lie.

Have any of you ever eaten at a Fudruckers?  It is a hamburger place that advertises that you can make your hamburger over 500 different ways with all of their burger toppings.  And to be honest with ourselves, that’s the way we like things.  We like to options so that we can “Have it our Way” like the Burger King commercials say.  But when it comes to eternal life, Jesus says, there are no others ways.  There is only one, and He says, “I am the way…”

And He is not only the way to eternal life, but He is also the way to abundant life.  Jesus said in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the fullest.”  There is one way to have abundant life, and that is through a relationship with Jesus.  I want to introduce you to a member of my family.

This is Sophie as a baby.  She is a shiatsu.  She is usually a very loyal and dependable dog.  But occasionally, she is wild, excitable, energetic, stubborn, and she tends to get into everything...especially trouble!  So, she is part loyal and part wild child.

We got Sophie about 3 years ago.  She was sitting in a pet store, with no place to call home.  Her future was uncertain if she hadn’t been adopted.

But Sophie was adopted, and because of that, her life is blessed.  Very, very blessed.

Like many housedogs, Sophie has dozens of toys and rawhide bones to play with.  At this time, she has a couple different leashes for when she goes for a walk.  Each matches a different outfit that she has.  She even has her own beds, that’s right, beds.  She has a little dog bed and a larger one.  But she rarely sleeps in them.  She usually sleeps on the couch during the day, and in bed with me and Nellie at night.  As I said, Sophie also has her own wardrobe.  Sweaters for cold weather, jerseys for Ohio State football games, and even casual clothes for just running around in the Summer.

Like I said, Sophie is blessed.  Very, very blessed.  A lot of time, wherever we go, Sophie goes with us.  She loves to ride in the car and look out and stick her head out the window.  When we eat, Sophie usually eats whatever it is that we are eating.  She really likes corn on the cob.

For a dog who was once unwanted, abandoned in a pet shop, Sophie is blessed.  Very, very blessed.  You could say her life is filled with abundance, not because Sophie deserves it, but because she was adopted into our family.

And listen to this, in the same way, when you accept Christ, God adopts you and makes you a part of His family.  And sometimes, you are loyal and dependable.  Other times you are not.  But you are loved anyway, because you are part of God’s family.

And He blesses you with an abundance of good things because He is a God who came that you and I may have life, and have it to the fullest.  But God doesn’t bless us because we deserve it, but because He has adopted us into His family.

So, as we begin to wrap things up this morning, let me ask you a question, “Do you want to live life to the fullest?”  The world will tell you that it comes by going to college, getting a degree, and making 6 figures a year.  But there are a lot of people who went that path and while they have a lot of things, their life is miserable, their life is not abundant.  At least in the way God wants our lives to be.  To have abundant life, we have to place our faith and our trust in Jesus alone.

So, as we close today, Will you live for Him by slowing down and ministering to those God brings into your path?  Will you obey Him and beware of those things that might make you slip in your walk with Him?  And will you realize that there is only one way, and that is through Jesus.  Jesus simply said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Let’s Pray!