HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN

Today, the title of my message is Highway to Heaven. You’re probably searching within that mess we call our memory and you’re wondering… Where have I heard that before? Well, let me give you a hint: it’s not the song by ACDC, but it’s that awesome American television drama series starring Michael Landon and Victor French.  And… I am proud to say that God’s word for you today has nothing to do with the TV series called Highway to Heaven (1984-1989).

With that said, just like every week at CFC, today’s message will challenge you, push you, discipline you, encourage you, strengthen you, and last but not least express God’s love for you. You must understand that each message should instruct you, or teach you in how you can better see or observe God; so that, you can share this new found love. I am set up to use what I’ve learned in my past to paint a clearer picture of your need to put effort towards your ability to be in a right relationship with God. For those of you that don’t know, I was part of the architectural/engineering world for twelve years. Within those twelve years, I learned a lot about pavement. You know that stuff you drive on every day. It’s sometimes called bituminous, asphalt, or blacktop. For five of those twelve years I worked in Vadnais Heights.  This means I drove down county road 95 to interstate hwy 94 everyday. For three of those years the road was in horrible condition. In fact, I always assumed the auto mechanics had something to do with it.

So, I have a prop, and I’ve also provided a cross-section of the road or highway that you would have driven on to get to today’s service. You will notice that the top two layers of this cross-section point out what I have in my hand right now. This is what a lot of us call blacktop or pavement, but identified in this picture as wearing course. Underneath that there is typically 8” of base course, and then underneath that there is what is called the sub-base, then the earth (many different layers). What I would like to point out is that the pavement is not what provides the structural strength, but the strength is found in the aggregate and sub-base. Now, I mentioned county road 95 because three of the five years I drove on it, they overlaid it. Overlay involves milling (removing) the existing pavement (just removing the top layer), and then they have a paving machine that puts down a new layer of asphalt that makes the road look like new again, but please observe that the aggregate and the sub-base still remain; therefore, the foundation with its imperfections remain.

Now, I know, right out of the blocks this seems like a great message to sleep through, right, but stay with me now. How many of you have over a twenty-minute commute to work during the week? All right then, I can bet to say that you’ve experienced a detour or two this summer. Right? Have you ever asked yourself why they reconstruct our roads? And, after the construction is over, as you drive down that newly paved road, do you say to yourself that the time spent being redirected by the detours, and the cost of new struts in your car; that these inconveniences were worth this new road that gets you to work every day?

It’s these questions that God wants you to focus on today… But let me re-phrase them in how they relate to our lives. In your journey or commute through life, how many of you experience detours? And, do you consider these detours worthwhile? Do you see them as God’s way of reconstructing your life? And, after reconstruction do you consider the pain, the hurt, and the despair as God’s way of replacing the old road (sinful nature) with the new (mind of Christ)?

Now, before we walk through these questions, it’s important to understand that in order to reconstruct your road/journey/commute; there must be a road first. This leads me to ask you: How do you know that you’re on the Highway to heaven?  Given that this involves a highway I thought we could turn to MapQuest, and this is what I found (Nothing). I couldn’t believe it; MapQuest doesn’t have directions to Heaven! Interesting… No really, behind me is a picture/image/illustration. This picture describes the situation that we are born into. It shows us that “All people have sinned,” (Romans 3:23) and “the penalty for our sin is death” (Romans 6:23). God is Holy, and we are not.

This next picture involves our personal response. The Bible says, “Come to me… and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). It says, “Behold, I (Jesus, God’s son) stand at the door and knock, if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in” (Revelation 3:20). This is a genuine personal invitation that seeks a personal response from each one who hears it. It’s our willing response to come to Christ and place our trust in that through His death, burial, and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:2-4) we now have access to the Highway to Heaven. This is the essence or foundation through which our whole faith is built on. You might ask why? Because Jesus is the son of God, the perfect sacrifice, and within this Bible we read about victory; victory over this life; victory because Jesus (God/Holy Spirit) came to earth, died, and defeated Satan once and for all by His resurrection.  And, the Bible is quite clear that we must have at least a basic understanding of who Christ is and how he provides the road back to a right relationship with God. Otherwise, it’s foolishness to us (Romans 3:11; Corinthians 2:6-16).

Please note: I specifically turned to MapQuest for a reason. Yes, I wanted it to be funny, but I also want you to know that there are moments within our journey or commute that we are distracted by life (Ephesians 4:14). And, it’s imperative that we grasp this bridge imagery and even remind ourselves periodically that Jesus is the only way. John 1:11-12 says, “To all who received Him (Jesus), to those who believed in His (Jesus) name, he gave the right to become children of God.” Again, Jesus is the ONLY WAY to Heaven. He is knocking. He is asking that you allow Him to come in. “Jesus is the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father (who dwells in Heaven) except through Him” (John 14:6). Today if you receive Him, and accept His free gift (Romans 5:17; 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9), that gift promises the forgiveness of your sins, and it gives you eternal access to the Highway to Heaven (John 3:16).

So now, let’s say you choose Christ, or you’ve chosen Christ a long time ago. You’re now promised eternal access to the Highway to Heaven (John 3:16). However, it’s imperative that you take a look at these two pictures. Up on the wall you will observe the road to heaven through Christ. It is a road, but it’s broken up, it has cracks and many imperfections. This road is a reflection of our ability to relate with God and see Him as He really is. These bumps, that you see, reflect your constant struggle with pornography, drugs, alcohol, pre-marital sex, impure thoughts, and pride. It’s these bumps that make it hard for you to communicate to God. The potholes reflect, gambling, discontentment, selfishness, greed, your need to crave more money, cars, boats, and square footage. So, potholes cause you to rely on yourself not God. The fog is a reflection of our laziness and stubbornness, and this fog does not allow us to see God for who He really is. So, when we accept Christ into our lives this is the road that we start out on.

Now, before I keep rolling here it’s important for us to know and be reminded of the fact that we must observe the road from the other side. This is a picture of how God sees us once we place our trust in Jesus Christ (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:23-26; Philippians 3:9). Remember, once you accept Christ into your life and continue to make Him Lord of your life; then you are promised eternal life or eternal access to the Highway to Heaven. Why? Hebrews 10:11-15, “Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest (Jesus) had offered for all time one sacrifice (Jesus) for sins, He (Jesus, He’s alive) sat down at the right hand of God... because by one sacrifice (Jesus) He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy (You and Me).” The apostle Paul speaks of this when he says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has passed way, behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). So, we read here that God sees us through the eyes of Christ in an instantaneous event; He sees us as perfect (Isaiah 61:10; Romans 3:21-22; 5:1; 8:1; 1 Corinthians 6:11)!

So, you must know how God sees you, but today God wants me to focus on how is it that we remove these bumps, potholes, cracks, and fog. What is our part in regard to reconstructing our Highway to Heaven as far as the way that we see God? First off, it’s imperative that you understand that God loves you just the way that you are when you choose Christ, but He refuses to leave you that way (Sanctification). Listen to this, “No “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God” (1 John 5:1). "No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed (God’s Spirit) remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God” (1 John 3:9). So, if that’s the case, who is actively involved within the reconstruction of our lives? Ezekiel 36:26-27 says, “I (God) will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I (God) will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I (God) will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” (See also Jeremiah 31:33-34; John 3:5). This prophet explains that the God we serve has provided the means or the way for us to gradually remove sin from our lives while becoming more like Christ in our actual lives (morally changing). God has given us the opportunity to observe, communicate, and trust in Him wholeheartedly through His Spirit. Ezekiel explains that this Spirit takes residence in our hearts and moves us to become more like Christ (Titus 3:5).

So, if we know that we have the Spirit of God actively persuading our lives: What is our part? Listen to this… “In a nationwide survey among Christian adults, none of the individuals interviewed said that the single, most important goal in their life is to be a committed follower of Jesus Christ. Another fact…Christians spend seven times as much time on entertainment as they do on actively pursuing Christ.” You see the biggest problem that we are confronted with today is this country’s lack of zeal for God.

So, what is our part? Hebrews 12:14 says; “We are to strive… for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” God wants us to pursue Him. God wants us to grasp the command for us to become warriors for the cause of Jesus Christ. Sharing this hope that we know - Warriors willing to live out their faith in a dangerous way! Willing to chase after God. Willing to hold on to the truth (this Bible) in love, and become more and more like Christ in every way (Ephesians 4:15; 2 Peter 2:2; 3:18).

God wants to go to work! However, it’s up to us to ask Him and allow Him to put up a detour sign (Romans 6:13; 12:1)! He wants you to hear Him. He wants you to know Him. I mean know Him like you know your best friend. But, you must allow His Spirit to begin construction. You might ask. Why? Why would you do this? I’ll tell you why. We are asleep. You heard the stats. If we put this off, life may be O.K. for a while. If you don’t reconstruct your life, then you will walk through life looking pretty on the outside, just like an overlay, but after a year goes by the same cracks, the same bumps, the same potholes affect your life, and you’ll find that you’re dealing with the same issues. Folks, we need reconstruction. I’m talking about tearing that road up! Right to its core!

Remember, just like the road you drove on to get here (2nd Street), there are many layers of your past and your current situation. If you feel like you can’t hear from God, then most likely it’s because you have something in your life that God needs to reconstruct! Paul says that sin remains in our lives, so he tells us not to let it reign and not yield to it (Romans 6:12-13). He finishes with - so make a choice to give up and allow God to change you from the inside out (Romans 6:19).

James 5:13 says; “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray.” What James is getting at here is prayer is our active response to asking God to heal us from pornography, from drug addiction, from gossip, moral decay, your past, pride, and so on. God wants you to get to a point in your life where you are sick and tired of praying for the same thing. If your there right now, your first response must be to remove yourself. Make every effort to get away (2 Peter 1:5)! Get to the core of why you respond the way that you do. Take time out of your busy life; remove the distractions, give God a whole weekend and utilize a retreat. Spend the money! Get childcare. And, give God everything and you’ll find that God will go to work. You’ll come home from that weekend and see that there is one less crack, one less bump, and the fog has dissipated just a little bit. Not only that, but now you will be able to see, hear, and know God a little better. You’ll experience victory, and it’s victory after victory that allows your faith to grow.

I know that some of us are weary. Some of us need encouragement. Some of us need that kick in the pants. Some of us need that compassionate, energetic person who pushes us to the next level of our faith. It’s up to us to find this person! The point is: There are no short cuts! We must give ourselves to the old-fashion, time honored means of reading our Bibles (Psalms 1:2; Matthew 4:4; John 17:17), prayer (Ephesians 6:18; Philippians 4:6), worship (Ephesians 5:18-20), and Christian fellowship (Hebrews 10:24-25). It’s these disciplines that help us grow to know that we have been set free from sin (Romans 6:18), and that we are “dead to sin and alive to God” (Romans 6:11). It’s these disciplines that help us see that “we all… are being changed into his likeness (becoming more like Christ) from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3:18). It’s after you set aside time for reconstruction that you’ll “forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead, you’ll press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14). This is what it is all about!

So today, we’ve brush over the Highway to Heaven. We’ve seen how God sees us (perfect), and we’ve seen that “If by the Spirit we put to death the deeds of the body we will live (we’ll gradually see God for who He really is)” (Romans 8:13). So, in your journey or commute through life; how many of you are willingly to give God the detour sign? And, will you consider these detours worthwhile? And after he removes this crack, bump, or pothole in your life; will you consider the pain, the hurt, and the despair as God’s way of replacing the old road (sinful nature) with the new (mind of Christ)? God’s purpose for our lives is that we constantly move toward “conforming to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29) in every dimension of our lives. I will end with two questions: What does your highway look like? And, what are you going to do about it?