The Two Paths of Life

Welcome to the indents podcast at Stanley for Wednesday, June 1.

You'll hear a description of the two halves of life and how you can be sure you're on the correct one, the choices you and make the grade.

Determine how tomorrow's. That's why we have to be careful what kind of choices we make in life.

We do not agree that probably all of us have made decisions we wish we could remake that the decisions made that we probably regret if we knew what the consequences where we would never have made the decision so how do you make those choices in a way you make those choices on the basis of the influence of others. For example, you make those choices the basis of money are your health, why does the will of God fit into how you make choices in life and us arrogant and so very important because we live with.

In fact, he made choices of what a road we got to travel in life, and the truth is the path you living today is the path upon which you have chosen to walk out your life. You started that younger long time ago and you've been on this path so long. Did you make a decision will that's how I want my life to work out that's the path I want to live in.

That's what Jesus said or did you do so, the founders of drifting into will Jesus is crystal clear about the kind of path we should walk on and he is very clear when it comes to make in contrast, the make it so clear. So we know exactly what we can expect someone you turn to the sermon on the Mount, five, six and seven chapters of the book of Matthew. Just a couple of verses. I want us to raise the wicked if you will.

The 13th verse of the seventh chapter he says. And that word he uses into here is a command. He commences enter through the narrow gate. Now watch this through the narrow gate best get down to the 14th verse where it says the gate for the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life and there are few who find it.

Go back now enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is brought that leads to destruction. So we come into the gates.

You you have to skip down the sleeve which one is talking about. So enter the narrow gate at this gate. The gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life and there are few who find it and then back again that enter through the narrow gate and we change the gates for the gate is wide and the way is brought and that leads to destruction. There many people who enter through it. So what Jesus is simply saying is this, there are two ways to live. That is we walk the path of righteousness. Walk the path. It's godly.

All we walked the path that's full of destruction and run in a person's life. And if you think about it, all of us have chosen a path in the packet you now living on today is the path that we've chosen that you may not have sat down and said this is the path I'm going to choose but you chose one. You may have found yourself maybe influencing that way are somebody convention persuaded you off whatever situation you walking on the path that you've chosen. The question is this where is he going to lead you if you keep walking the path that you're following where are you going to end up so I don't know, don't you think it be wise before you chose a pathway in life to ask yourself the question, where will this lead me. What will this get me have a lot in the what's the final stage of my life where my going to spend eternity, you should ask them very sobering questions and if your overpass today that you wish you were not on. I'll show you how to get off of it. If you're on the path and don't know why you started. Maybe you'll find out today. The important thing is this you walking on the path you've chosen that path. It has consequences. Good or bad depends on which path it is and what you listen carefully to this message.

It's interesting in this passage.

For example, if you keep going you'll notice he talks about new trees batteries. He talks about the, the fruit, and so forth and talks about the good foundations and bad foundations, rock and sand and two kinds of houses secure and insecure and you'll see that Jesus makes it very very clear to choices that's it are two choices in life, so you have chosen the path up to this point. If you keep walking the path that you walking where will it lead you will it lead you where you really want to go where you thought you were going to be by this time in your life.

So it's a very important you listen carefully, because Jesus just cut it down there only to as a path of righteousness, godliness is a path that leads to destruction, and the path that leads to eternal life is a lot decide the discolor to go along on this path and change my monitor somewhere. Maybe you can.

Maybe you can.

Maybe you will. Maybe you want very important you listen carefully. So let's look at this first path and the he calls it the Broadway so when you look at that and he talks about the wide gate that what is he talking about. He's talking about that lifestyle and that pathway if you choose that then that you can have all, diversities of beliefs you can leave most anything in the world you want to believe all, philosophers and opinions and people have all, religions and and everything seems to be fine and you have your religion. I have mine, but on the path we walk we don't criticize each other. We choose what we believe in life we don't talk about Jesus necessarily of the Bible we just enjoy life and move on. On the broad path and it's a place of freedom and we don't worry about consequences. That's the broad wide path.

Jesus never spoke anything but the truth and what he's doing in this passage is warning as there were two pants, not three, but to pass and he says in this passage that it is aware of destruction, disappointment, darkness is the Broadway. It's the wide way is the way of the ungodly. Then he says there is another path and listen to what he says in this passage. Now he says enter through the narrow gate.

For this gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life and there are few who find that is comparatively there be few Christians compared to the world population.

Few Christians it is our job to get the truth of Christ everybody on the face of this globe. That's what we're attempting to do and succeeding at it. By the grace of God, the power of God. The work of the Holy Spirit, and many many missionaries and many many people who preach the gospel in every language possible all over the world, but will always be outnumbered and what he simply saying here is this this narrow way is just that it is the narrow way. Listen, this fourth chapter of Proverbs and 11 for 10th verse he says here, my son and accept my sayings, and the years of your life will be many. I have directed you in the way of wisdom. Look at that I have directed you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in an upright pass when you walk, your steps will not be impeded or hindered.

And if you run you will. This he says you will not stumble. Take hold of instructions. Do not let go.

Guard her, for she is your life. Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not proceed in the way of evil men. It can't be any clearer. There's a path of wisdom, righteousness, holiness, godliness. It's a path it's eight at Eileen sending about being easy is nothing easy about living a godly life. But I'll tell you one thing when it comes to what our heart desires our soul cries out for peace and joy and happiness and confidence and assurance of eternal life in true genuine friendships and all the rest.

That's the path few there be that find it. On the other path crowds. You don't see all the lights and all the glamour on the narrow path, but it's the right path. The path of wisdom and it's the path of following Jesus.

Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life.

No one comes to the father but by me.

Somebody says why don't believe he's on the way.

Let me ask a couple questions. Number one, if he's not the only way who's gonna deal with your sin is and will my sins not so bad. That's your opinion holy God says your sins evil and wicked and vile in his eyes. What he can do with your sin. One. Discolor contested.

Did you know that confessing sin is not what removes the penalty of sin from your life you so I go to church and confess my sin every week confessing your sin does not remove it. Watch this carefully. When Jesus came to this earth as a virgin born son of God. He came sent by the father. He came sent by the father for the primary purpose of laying down his life on the cross, shedding his blood as the ultimate final sacrifice, God prophesied all the way back to the beginning of time. He laid down his life on the cross in order for God to be able to forgive you of your sin.

He paid your price. The Bible says that God sent the soul that send it, it shall die. If there's no crucifixion, no shedding of blood there is no payment for your sin.

This is why the cross is so precious to all of us who believe as we understand what it is.

It is the symbol of God's awesome love and payment for the sin of mankind in order for God to be just in order for God to be truthful. He had to pay our sin debt himself, Jesus Christ the son of God laid down his life on the cross that satisfied the requirements of God for the penalty of sin.

Therefore, when you trust him.

Has your personal savior is more than just confessing our believe in Jesus.

When you trust them as your personal savior surrendering your life to him and you are accepting his forgiveness not on the basis that you've contested you have accepted his forgiveness on the basis Jesus died and paid the penalty.

This is why confess confess confess contested, you can confess till the day you die is not going to your billing. Until you confessing that Jesus Christ is the son of God, the Savior of the world.

Your only hope. And he came as a sacrifice in order for you to be forgiven by Almighty God and on the basis of that Jesus Christ being the son of God, Jesus Christ being God in the flesh, for those you 33 years. He was on their when you trust him as your Savior that meet you giving up your away you surrender your life to him.

That's the narrow path. That's the narrow gate.

That's where the deal because most people want to have religion and liberty they want freedom to do anything they want to do and then go to their guns a little and Jesus name. Forgive me, or whoever their apprentice.

Ask a question when you confess your sins to God. Do you simply say Lord I'm asking you to forgive me and in Jesus name or have you set a man or why should he forgive you the words if you just have a guilty feeling and you know you can do it again tomorrow. That's not confession. There is no repentance and that what Jesus say he says, except a man be born again, what does that imply what is that say there's gotta be a change of the new birth. This is a new life and posted if any man be in Christ trust Christ as Savior.

Your new creation.

Old things are passed away, behold things are become new. Because now you have Christ living on the inside and you enabling you showing you what is right and giving you the power to live a godly life there only two paths in the path that you living today will determine what happens tomorrow you need to understand Jesus Christ the son of God will be the one. Every single one of those stands before deals before stretch that before.

Whatever. When we stand in the judgment all the stuff that you hear people tell you is going to be like this. He says it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment.

There is no escape. When you not stand before him.

If we have been washed in the blood of Jesus having trust in him as our Savior surrender their life to him we going to be able to stand before him freely. Only the love of God will be there if you reject the son of God. This think about this. You reject the only hope you have you reject the son of the Almighty God who created this world and is that is abused and everything around you reject him.

Whatever your reason for rejecting him. You will stand before God and give an account a list like this idea, belief in just a moment somebody says a lot believe in Jesus. What is at me to believe is a word of action.

If I believe in Jesus Christ. That doesn't mean I had just give mental assent. I believe and act and what is that I put my life in his hands.

I trust him.

I repent of my sins, I confess my sins are up and about since I've surrender my life to Jesus Christ and I would ask you, have you ever really and truly surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, the son of God whom he sent in this world as the only means of satisfying God's requirement for paying a penalty for sin.

You recall all those sacrifices in the Old Testament, they were foreshadowing the coming of Christ.

When he came as the final sacrifice.

Remember that the veil in the temple was rent from top to bottom and opened it, all of the holy of holies.

Why because you and I now have access to God through his son Jesus Christ.

We don't have to go through anybody you have to go through anybody. Jesus opened the door for you and need to be able to have a personal, intimate relationship with God. But listen to me carefully when you say you believe in Jesus you believe what about Jesus. Do you believe that he's the son of God.

If you believe that you will surrender your life to you. Believe he was just another man that that is a belief that brings you nothing but ultimate destruction. Jesus Christ is the son of God, the sacrificial substitutionary all sufficient sacrifice for your sins, and my sense, therefore, if you want to get on the right path.

You have to step on the right path by placing your trust in Christ as the crucified Savior asking God to forgive you of your sins and surrendering your life to him to follow him all the days of your life and as limitations something else. You can't straddle the fence. These two pathways llama walk over here and that I want to walk over here know you can't. The two paths you chose one already. Whichever parent that is using will handle. I get off that relies on the wrong hello I get off this path. Alitalia if you willing to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the son of God, and you will and to acknowledge the fact that God sent him into this world for the purpose of dying on the cross in order to shed his blood to make the payment for your sin and the sin of the world you will and you believe that Jesus Christ crucified was a sacrificial substitutionary death, in which it was for us you will and to believe that he's the son of God and the Savior you will and to ask him to forgive you of your sins and to repent of those sins to turn away from by the strength and the help and the guidance of the Holy Spirit you willing to turn away from that you willing to surrender your life to him totally your accepting that forgiveness and accepting that he has a brand-new life for you and your choosing to walk in that he takes you run off that old path puts he owns a new pair because now you become a new person in Christ, my friend leave me if there were any other way I would tell you that you have to decide whether you believe the word of God or you do not salami, just asking this, you say well you know some Baptist Bible that bothers me, and so let me ask you this if for some reason the Bible bothers you.

If you don't live by this what you going live by. I'll tell you about a question that if you don't die by this, what are you gonna die by and where are you going to spend eternity in Jesus name. I trust that you will be wise enough right now.

Wherever you are the ask God to forgive you of your sins forgive you for your unbelief forgive you for walking the path you been walking forgive you for the sin in your life forgive you for all the excuses you may and all the attempts you've made to quiet your own sting in conscience and tell them that you surrendering your life to him and today you want to become a child of God right now this is the only way in the God who wrote this Bible will be the God judges are in the one of these days that's why you better stick with the thank you for listening to the two paths of life. If you like to know more about Charles Stanley, more intense ministry intense daylighting this night after the presentation of intense ministry in Atlanta, Georgia