Your way

Isaiah chapter 53 verse number 6. Isaiah 53 verse number 6 says, all we like sheep have gone astray we have turned everyone to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. I'd like to read it one more time just one verse. All we like sheep have gone astray we have turned everyone to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Very seldom do I read this verse in a gospel meeting without thinking of Acts chapter 8. If your mind goes with me to Acts chapter 8 you'll remember there was a man who came all the way from Ethiopia to Jerusalem. A man who knew that he wasn't satisfied with the religion and with the success that he had had in Ethiopia. A man who thought that perhaps he could find in Jerusalem that which was missing in his life.

A man who went to Jerusalem and even changed religions. You got a copy of the Bible and after going through all that trouble and to all that expense and putting all that effort into it he found that he still did not have that which satisfies. And as he was sitting in his chariot and he was reading Isaiah the prophet and the place that he read was this very passage.

These verses leading up to what we have just read. And as he was reading this the Lord saw fit to send a man as we heard the only man in our Bible called an evangelist. And Philip comes up to the chariot and he says to this man in very simple language understandest thou what thou readest.

And he says how can I except some man should guide me. And I see in this Ethiopian man who traveled all this way an honest heart who was simply willing to say that he didn't know. And he was reading the scriptures and he says to the evangelist he says of whom speak it this or the prophet this of himself or some other man.

And Philip began at that very scripture and he preached on to him Jesus. Make no mistake if I circle all around it and fail to come in and tell you my point throughout this entire half of the gospel meeting. Make no mistake our intent is to preach on to you Jesus.

To preach about this one the only one in whom is found life. The only one who is the answer to all of life's questions. But the Bible goes beyond just saying that salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ is enough to make your life better.

The Bible says it gives you a whole new life. Eternal life. A life that really counts because when it comes right down to it the only thing that matters is where you will be throughout all of eternity.

And Philip was wise when he began at that very scripture to preach on to him Jesus. So make no mistake when we say all we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way and the Lord have laid on him the Lord Jesus Christ the iniquity of us all.

We're going to talk about your way. You're going to stick with me through the whole meeting aren't you? When we talk about your way. The Lord Jesus said as illustrated on the chart behind me enter ye in at the straight gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way which leadeth to destruction and many there be which go in there at.

Because straight is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth on to life and few there be that find it. The Lord Jesus was very simply stating that there are two roads and there are two destinations or destinies. He spoke about heaven didn't he? The Lord Jesus did.

And the very plain verse from our Bible from the pen of the Apostle Paul in Philippians chapter one that says he had a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better. Tells us of a place where Christ is in heaven which is far better. The Lord Jesus said that the way to heaven is a narrow way.

It is a way that is marked by righteousness but it's not your own righteousness. It is the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ in his death to supply for your life. It's the only way you'll ever be on the narrow way.

The only way that you could ever be fit for heaven is if the Lord Jesus died on Calvary to put away sin. Because sin really is your problem. And because sin is your problem before you are ever going to be right with God something would have to be done with sin and that's what happened on Calvary and now the Lord Jesus extends the invitation enter at the straight gate.

But he was also very plain when he spoke about the other eternal reality. A real place where people go when they die in their sins. Only two places and only two roads and he says wide is the gate and broad is the way which leadeth to destruction.

Many there be which go in there at. In 2011 the statistics worldwide were that 55 million people 55.3 million people died. That's a lot of people.

You break that down. That's about a hundred and fifty six thousand people every day that go out into eternity. So I don't know what you were doing last night at 630 but since last night at 630 until now about a hundred and fifty six thousand people have gone out into eternity.

530 most of us were having our supper and in the last hour approximately 6300 people have died. One hour. Every minute.

One hundred and five people leave this world and they go to one of two places. By the time this gospel meeting is over there will have been about forty five hundred to forty six hundred people die from now to the time we sing the closing hymn. One of these minutes it's going to be you.

But where will you be? I know it gets heavy at this point doesn't it? We're dealing with reality here. Where will you be? The broad road is crowded with people. We're moving more quickly than they ever think or would ever expect toward eternity.

I am convinced that everyone in this room is going to die before they expect it. You say what about older people? I still believe it. Before they expect it they'll pass away.

Out of those hundred and fifty six thousand people in the last 24 hours how many of those people were under the age of 50? Probably the majority. How many of the people who passed away in the last 24 hours, those hundred and fifty six thousand, were under the age of 30? Probably quite a few. You think about that number and how many may be under the age of 20 or under the age of 15 or under the age of 12 and now you're starting to think in real terms.

It's not merely numbers. The numbers are counting the souls and the souls are going into eternity and the souls will remain in eternity forever. The Lord Jesus says, wide is the gate and broad is the way which leadeth to destruction.

Many there be which go in there at. There are many in our meeting tonight and that's the road you are on. Some preachers ask what road are you on? That's not a bad question.

This preacher is telling you you know what road you're on and if you were honest you'd quit fooling yourself. But our verse in Isaiah says all we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way.

So I am thinking that on this broad road there are many different little ways. They're all headed in the same direction. If you look on the chart behind me far away from the door and close to this edge of the Broadway you'll see what's called the clean footpath.

Now the writing is kind of small and I sat back there last night and I had a hard time seeing the chart but it says right here the clean footpath and there are verses there that tell us about the clean footpath. One of them is Proverbs chapter 16 and it says there is a way which seemeth right on to a man but the end thereof are the ways of death. Very simply there is a way for every man.

Every man has his own way. Every man thinks his way is right but the end of that way is the same as the end of every other way. That's eternal destruction.

Some people have the religious way don't they? Could be speaking to someone the religious way tonight and you are comfortable with your religion. You are happy and content with your church. You are devoted and you are dedicated.

You not only go to your church meetings but you give money to your church. You adhere to its teachings and you try your best to do your best and be your best and somehow you think that that way is going to get you to heaven. Well see that's logical and I do not fault you for your logic.

In fact I appreciate a sensible thinking person but when you apply your way or when you apply the Bible to your way and analyze those things in light of the scripture what you will find very quickly is this. Your way is leading to hell. The Bible says for by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves it's a gift of God not of works lest any man should boast and if it had to be any clearer God would have made it clearer.

Not of works lest any man should boast. So the best that you can do in finding the best religion that you can find in dedicating your entire life to that cause and that religion will ever get you into heaven. That's your way.

The religious way. With other people it's the self-righteous way. Right? You know that way.

I'm convinced that Christians children in Sunday school are on that way because you're not as bad as the others right? If I'm not mistaken I think this country which I love this country not as much as I love my country but I love this country. I love the people in this country but if I'm not mistaken I believe per capita this is the country with the highest rate of incarceration in the entire world. Very simply for the amount of people you have you have more people in jail or penitentiary than any other country on the earth.

Some of them are in there for little things right? Some of them are in there for stealing. Some of them are in there for just little things that you wouldn't think anything of and other people are in there for gross crimes against humanity. Some people are in there for being crooked in business.

Some people are in there for defrauding people of millions of dollars. Some people are in there for killing people. Some people are in there for doing horrible things to children and some people will never get out before they die.

And because there are people who have done worse things than you, follow this with me now okay, because there are people who have done worse things than you have done you think somehow you are better than they are. Let's be honest. Somehow you are better than they are.

You've never murdered anybody. You've never really stolen anything that would qualify as having to be charged criminally. You tell white lies right? Kids in school tell black lies you tell white lies.

And within your heart there's just enough pride to make you think that you're going to make it to heaven because you're not as bad as other people. That's the self-righteous way and that way leads to hell and it's probably the most deceptive way. But it's your way.

The religious way and the self-righteous way and the third one I call the runaway. How many are the runaway? You see God is doing a work right now tonight. God is doing a work and the work that he is currently doing is seeking and saving sinners.

As people are on the broad road heading toward a lost eternity, taking their own way and content with their own way, not knowing that the end of their way is death and not knowing that the end of their way is much closer than they think it is, yet God is searching and God is seeking and God is wanting to stop sinners. It is God's business to save sinners and he brings things into their life to cause them to stop. Sometimes he will bring a sickness into the life of a person to cause them to stop and think.

Think about what? Eternity. Sometimes God will bring a car accident or a near miss into the experience of a young boy or a young girl and it causes them to be awake at night thinking. Thinking about what? Eternity.

Where will I be after I die? What if that accident would have been fatal for me? What if they wouldn't have been able to save me from the car wreck? Where would I be? That's God speaking and that's God seeking and that's God desiring to get you to stop and turn. And sometimes it takes coming to a funeral home or a gospel hall where there's a casket laid out at the front of the hall and there's a body in there where there used to be a soul inside that body. The soul is gone.

The Bible says it's gone into eternity into one of two places and you were caused to stop and think if but for that little moment of time where would I be if that was my body up there? God's seeking. He wants you to stop. He wants you to turn.

You see the problem is you continue to persist in your own way and resist the voice of God. I'm one who is convinced that if sinners spent half as much time and effort coming to Christ, if that's a good way to say it, as they do resisting Christ they'd be saved. It's always a resisting isn't it? It's always a resisting.

For some people the resisting is staying away from gospel meetings and they're running away. For other people you can't stay away from gospel meetings and I know that some of these people in the audience tonight are here because their parents made them come and if you had a different different parents you wouldn't be here and if you had a choice you'd probably be somewhere else tonight. It's Saturday night, the sun is shining and there's lots to do.

I know that we have a captive audience but some of our captive audience will go home and before they even make it home the earbuds go in, right? And you're listening to your iPod or you've got the iPad flipped open so that you can watch your little shows and really what you are doing is you're trying your best to put it out of your mind. Put what out of your mind? Thoughts of eternity and you're running away and the end of the religious way is hell. The end of the self-righteous way is hell and the end for the runaway is hell.

The Bible says all we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way and if you're at all interested in being honest you'll have to say that you are probably either the religious, the righteous or the runaway. It says the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

I wanted to preach on Calvary. I wanted to preach about what happened at Calvary. I wanted to preach about the man of Calvary.

The man on the hill we could call him. The man who bore his own cross as he went up toward Calvary. Calvary and the shame that was associated with the cross.

Calvary and the curse that was associated with hanging on a tree. Calvary and the mockery that he took at the hands of men. Calvary and the suffering that he endured at the hands of God as he was made a sacrifice for sin.

Calvary where he accomplished the work to put away sin once for all never to be repeated and never needs to be repeated because God is 100% satisfied with what his son has accomplished at Calvary. We love to preach Calvary, don't we? When they had come to the place which is called Calvary there they crucified him and we read there in the Gospel of Luke after in verse number 33 we start to read about the grace associated with Calvary. When those two malefactors were on one on this side and one on the other but before they even put that cross up in the hole he said about those men who had driven the nails.

The grace of Calvary now. Father forgive them for they know not what they do. And we see two men, two men who were receiving exactly what they deserved for what they had done.

See that sometimes is where we're missing it, aren't we? Not only are you going to a lost eternity but the Bible says you deserve a lost eternity. It's a hard generation to get that through too. You know why? Because everyone tells them they're special.

You're different, right? Not like all the others. You're different. We have a bunch of moms and dads raising a generation of children and they don't hold them responsible for anything that they do.

And when the kid comes home and he's got failing grades the teacher's wrong. And when the kids comes home and he smells like smoke he's hanging out with the wrong crowd. And when the kid gets caught with drugs in his locker it's because of the boys at school and mom and dad simply fail to face the reality that their little boy is no different than all the other little boys.

And mom and dad if you're listening, listen. Don't defend your children. Hold them accountable and responsible for their own actions.

You will be an eternal loss, an eternal punishment because you are responsible to God for what you have done and for what you are. These two men, as they're hanging there, one on each side of the Lord Jesus on Calvary, one of them repents. Repentance is a necessary word.

I think repentance is a lovely word. I think repentance is a word that brings joy in the presence of the angels of God. When one sinner repents there's tremendous joy in heaven, tremendous joy in the heart of God, tremendous joy in the heart of the Christians when they see that a sinner who is intent on continuing on their own way has stopped and turned and trusted the Savior.

The stopping and the turning really is one aspect of repentance when you consider it. In order for you to be saved you will have to stop. In order for you to be saved you will have to repent.

In order for you to be saved you will have to put your trust in the Savior. But there would be no opportunity for stopping, repenting, or trusting if there was no Calvary. If sin was not put away there'd be no invitation to come.

And if Calvary had never happened there'd be no everlasting life. No matter how much repentance or faith there would be, Calvary was absolutely necessary. So you'll listen to my verse.

All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned, every one, to his own way. The gospel is the Lord had laid on him the iniquity of us all.