“IN THE WAY”    (Luke 1:79) (Vr. 68-89)

March 16^th,  2003

 

1.         Christianity soon became known as   “THE WAY.”

 

2.         The book of Acts is full of this phrase:

 

            a.         (Acts 9:2)  "And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this  way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem."

           

                        (1)        Gill says: (any of this way); “of thinking; that were of this sect of religion, and either professed to believe, or preach, that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah:”

 

            b.         (Acts 16:17)  "The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation."

 

                        (1)        Gill again says: (1)  “The only way of salvation is by the Lord Jesus Christ, (2) by whom the law is fulfilled, satisfaction is made for sin, peace and pardon are procured, (3)  an everlasting righteousness is brought in”

                       

            c.         (Acts 19:23)  "And the same time there arose no small stir about that way."

 

                        Note:    Mr. Beddome says:  “The stir made about the Gospel (THE WAY)  has once and again tended to its propagation.”

 

            d.         (Acts 22:4)  "And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women."

 

                        (1)        “Haled out of their houses, and committed to prison;

                        (2)        Consented to their death, as he did to Stephen's;

                        (3)        And whenever it was put to the vote, whether they should die or not, he gave his voice against them; so that he was a most bitter enemy,”

 

            e.         (Acts 24:22)  "And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of that way, he deferred them, and said, When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter."

 

3.         Paul declares in Romans:   (Rom 3:12)  "They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."

 

a.                     (Job 21:14)  "Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways."

 

5.         Solomon says:   (Prov 14:12)  "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."

 

            a.         As the way of sin and wickedness does, it promising much carnal pleasure and mirth;

 

b.                     There is a great deal of company in it, it is a broad road, and is pleasant, and seems right, but it leads to destruction; so the way of the hypocrite and Pharisee that trusts to his own righteousness, and despises others,

 

c.                     And even trust in the righteousness of Christ; or however does not submit to it, but tramples upon him, and counts the blood of the covenant an unholy thing, and so is deserving of sorer punishment than the profane sinner; yet on account of his good works, as he calls them, fancies himself to be in a fair way for heaven and happiness;

 

d.                     So Popery, through the pomp and grandeur and gaudiness of worship, through the lying miracles of the priests, and the air of devotion that appears in them, seems to be a right way;.

           

6.         Paul  was  so  convinced  of  this  way  that  he declared:  (1 Cor 2:2)  "For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified."

 

7.         Paul declares this to be a New Way...(Heb 10:20)  "By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;"

 

8.         By this, I do not mean a new invention; for Jesus is the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world.  (Rev. 13:8)

 

Notice then:    Our text  should  mean   much   to   us.

 

I.       CONSIDER   THE   ENTRANCE   INTO   THE   WAY.

 

          A.      MANY   QUESTION   THE   WAY.

 

                        1.         (John 14:5-6)  "Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? {6} Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

 

                        2.         Christ is not merely an example of the way.  He is the way.

 

                        3.         Or merely as a prophet, pointing out  the way of salvation;

           

                        4.         But he is the way of salvation itself by his obedience and sacrifice;

 

                        5.         Nor is there any other way; he is the way of his father's appointing,

 

            B.      THIS WAY IS OPPOSED IN MANY WAYS.

 

                        1.         The World....(In Bunyan’s Pilgrim Progress, “worldly Wiseman” laughed at the way.

 

                                    a.         (Mat 13:22)  "He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful."

 

                        2.         The Flesh..(Rom 8:8)  "So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."

 

                        3.         The Devil. (1 Pet 5:8)  "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil[1], as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"

 

                                    Ill. "DEVIL":  Henry Law, Dean of Gloucester wrote about Satan. "He never slumbers, never is weary, never   relents,  never abandons hope. He deals his blows alike at childhood's  weakness,  youth's  inexperience,   manhood's  strength  and  the  totterings   of   old   age. He  watches  to  ensnare  the  morning  thought.  He  departs  not  with  the  shades  of  night. By   his   legions   he   is   everywhere,   at   all   times.   He   enters   the   palace,   the   hut,   the fortress,   the   camp,   the   fleet.   He   invests   every   chamber   of   every   dwelling,   every   pew in   every   sanctuary.   He   is   busy   with   the   busy.   He   hurries   about   with   the   active.   He sits   by   each   bed   of   sickenss,   and   whispers   into   each   dying   ear.   As   the   spirit   quits the   tenement   o  f clay,   he   still   draws   his   bow   with   unrelenting   rage."

 

            C.      CHRISTIANS COMPROMISE THE MINORITY GROUP (THREE   REASONS)

 

                        1.         THE   GATE   IS   STRAIT:  (Luke 13:24)  "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able."

 

e.                                             "STRIVE":  "Erasmas,   a   15^th   Century   Theologian & contempory   of   Calvin,   said: "In the way that leadeth to life, nothing is to be found that flatters the flesh, but many things opposite---poverty, fasting, watching, injuries, chasity, sobriety. And as for the gate, it receives none that are swollen with the glory of this life; none that are evelated with pride. It does not admit those that are laden with the lust for riches. None can pass through this gate but naked men, who are stripped of worldly lusts, which is the reason why so few seek and strive to enter through it."

                                   

b.         Matthew Henry said: "The reason many come short of grace and glory is because they rest in a lazy seeking of that which will not be attained without a laborious striving."

 

c.                                             STRIVING: "To make effort; labor hard, to contest, to contend, to battle, to struggle, to endeavor, to aim."

                                   

                                    d.         "STRAIT"   "Strait" = Narrow, restricted, tight, difficult, a narrow passage."

 

                        2.          "NARROW IS THE WAY:  John Bradford, embracing the reeds and faggots, said: "Strait is the way, and narrow is the gate, and few that find it." And speaking to his fellow-martyr: "Be of good comfort, brother, for  we shall have a merry supper with the Lord this night; if there be any way to heaven on horse-back or in fiery chariots, this is it."

           

                                    Note: Traveling in the Narrow   way doesn’t   mean   being “narrow minded.”

 

II.      CONSIDER THE EXPERIENCES OF THE WAY. (This  way   begins   here and leads to here-after)

 

            A.      CONSIDER   THE   CONDITIONS   THAT   ATTEND   THIS WAY.

 

                        1.         CONDITIONS OF THIS WAY.  (Many temptations)

 

a.                                             (1 Cor 10:13)  "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted  above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

           

                                                Ill.         "TEMPTED":   Latimer, Biship, when they were about to set fire to him and Bishop Ridley, with an amiable countenance, said these words: " God is faithful, which doth not suffer us to be tempted above our strength."

 

                                                Ill.        The bewildered disciples cried: “We perish” (Mk. 4:38)_

                                                            Jesus cried: “They shall never perish” (Jn. 10:28)

 

            B.      CONSIDER   THE   COMPANIONSHIP   OF   THIS   WAY.

 

                        1.         Communion with the Lord.  (Luke 24:15)  "And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them."

 

            C.      THE   COMPANY   ALONG   THIS   WAY.

 

                        1.         (Mal 3:16)  "Then  they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and  the  LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance  was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name."

 

                        2.         Jesus doesn’t send us out alone. (Luke 10:1)  "After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come."

 

III.    CONSIDER   THE   END   OF   THIS   WAY.    (HEAVEN)

 

            A.      NOTICE   THE   TWO   DIFFERENT   PATHS   IN   LIFE.

 

                        1.         (Prov 4:18-19)  "But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth[1] more and more unto the perfect day. {19} The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble."

 

                                    Ill.         "SHINETH":  William Arnot said: "When any portion of the earth's   surface   begins to experience a  dawn diminishing its darkness,   it is because that portion is gradually turning round towards   the   sun;  while   any   part of the earth   lies away from the sun, in proportion to the measure of its aversion, it is dark and cold; in proportion as it turns to him again, its atmosphere grows clearer, until, in its gradual progress, it comes in sight of the sun, and its day is perfect then.

                                                        The path of the just is precisely like this. Arrested in his darkness by a love in Christ, which does not understand as yet, he is secretely drawn towards Him in whom that love in infinite measure, is treasured up.  As he is drawn nearer, his light increases, until at last he finds himself in the presence of the Lord."

 

            B.      NOTICE   THE   EXAMPLES   THE  LORD  HAS   GIVEN   TO US.

 

                        1.         Enoch walked with God. (Gen 5:22)  "And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:"

 

                        2.         Noah walked with God. (Gen 6:9)  "These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God."

 

                        3.         Cheer from the Lord....(Mat 9:2)  "And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee."

 

                        3.         (Mat 14:27)  "But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid."

 

Conclusion:    My friend, if you would ever enter the gate of heaven, you must forsake your way, and come God’s way, even through Christ.

 

(Isa 55:7)  "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."