The Road We Travel

The Road We Travel

Wow what an awesome God. “Jesus is the answer for the world today. Above Him is no other, Jesus is the way.” In His name we move forward as Christians. Dedicated at some level, individually and corporately, to carry His word, and His story to the world, and to our world.

I doubt there is anyone that doesn’t have a family member or friend that is struggling with life. Struggling with their faith in God. Dealing with hurts and failures. Trying to understand the answer that will move them beyond all their stuff, and find a meaningful relationship with Christ.

Paul in prison wrote this to Timothy in his second letter 1:12. KJV “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” That day meaning when Paul faced Jesus

“This is the Message I’ve been set apart to proclaim as preacher, emissary, and teacher. It’s also the cause of all this trouble I’m in. But I have no regrets. I couldn’t be more sure of my ground—the One I’ve trusted in can take care of what he’s trusted me to do right to the end.” “I love this stuff”

Isaiah 35:8-10

8 A highway will be there, a roadway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, But it will be for him who walks that way,
And fools will not wander on it.
9 No lion will be there, Nor will any vicious beast go up on it; These will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk there,
10 And the ransomed of the Lord will return And come with joyful shouting to Zion, With everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away.

The road we travel will be, to say the least interesting. On it we will find all sorts of teaching tools. These tools have a singular purpose. Fulfill our purpose

Here is that purpose defined by scripture.

Ephesians 4:13

until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

For the rest of this message I will be using road as a metaphor. You might say it is a journey that carries us forward in the knowledge of Christ. Learning, growing, embracing, and sharing what we know with the world.

Saul got on the road one day with letters to arrest and kill followers of Christ. “Jesus meeting on the road and changing the path”

God will prepare others to help you as the road changes in your journey. Same road, different process. Saul was blind.

Acts 9:17

So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Saul was not trusted by the Apostles. They knew him as a killer of followers of Christ.

Acts 9:27

But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.

Saul who became Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles began his journey with murder in his heart. When he had an encounter on the road his purpose changed. He was now in an unfamiliar setting. God had positioned others to help Paul on his journey.

“What happens when you meet Jesus for the first time on your journey?”

The road to eternal life will test your character.

Luke 10:30-33

30 Jesus replied and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead.

31 And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

32 Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

33 But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion.

“Religion wouldn’t help. It took compassion from someone despised in the culture of the day.”

The road, the journey will test your character. “The road, the journey will provide opportunities.”

Luke 18:35

As Jesus was approaching Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging.

What about us today? Traveling our road, our journey. Have we passed a blind, hungry, sick, discouraged, angry, unloved, wounded, all alone person? If so did we stop? The road, the journey will test our character. “It will test our faith as well.”

This occurred during Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Luke 19:35-38

35 They brought it to Jesus, and they threw their coats on the colt and put Jesus on it.

36 As He was going, they were spreading their coats on the road.

37 As soon as He was approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen,

38 shouting: “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

Verse 36 Amplified

As He rode along, people were spreading their coats on the road [as an act of homage before a king].

The road, the journey is a place of worship. This was a common expression of joy in the day. Given as worship in response to the great things Christ had done.

What about the your road, your journey.