25-0525a Transcript

Preacher: Tom Freed

(1:26) Good morning. Good to see everybody. (1:31) My sermon is called, The Highway to Hell vs.

The Stairway to Heaven. (1:38) I was just going to do The Highway to Hell, and then I used Grok. (1:43) Scott was jokingly texting me, I was going to do The Highway to Hell, and he said, I’ll do The Stairway to Heaven on his sermon.

(1:50) But Grok must have spied on us, because he changed the title. (1:55) And I did use it. I had to use it a lot this time to improve the sermon.

(2:03) I didn’t like the first few drafts, and then I was copying and pasting. (2:07) I did it another five times, and finally got what I liked. (2:11) But I think it does help improve the sermon.

(2:14) It definitely makes it shorter, so if you like a short sermon, that’s good. (2:18) I don’t think a longer sermon necessarily means better. (2:23) Rock anthems like ACDC’s Highway to Hell are electrifying, bold, rebellious, and catchy.

(2:33) They resonate because they tap into something real. (2:37) The allure of living life on our own terms. (2:40) How many of us want to live life on our own terms? (2:43) A lot of people don’t want to be told what to do.

(2:47) A lot of people are turned off by religion because they don’t want to be told how to live their life. (2:53) Songs like Hell’s Bells or Running with the Devil glamorize rebellion. (2:59) But beneath the rhyme lies a sobering spiritual truth.

(3:05) The Bible warns of a real highway to Hell, a wide, crowded path leading to destruction. (3:12) And it also reveals a stairway to Heaven, narrow but sure. (3:18) But Jesus is the only way up.

(3:21) Today we’ll explore these two paths and the choice before us. (3:26) We can see both these paths are real. (3:29) The Bible isn’t imaginary.

There is a real Hell in Heaven. (3:33) You’ve got to make the choice what road you’re going to be on. (3:39) Pop culture often paints sin as thrilling.

(3:42) Music, movies, and media celebrate a life of indulgence. (3:47) Sex, drugs, and rock and roll. (3:51) But it does glorify all those things, worldly things, things that please the flesh.

(3:58) And sinful things are fun, you know, they are pleasurable, but they never totally fulfill us. (4:05) It’s marketed as freedom, but Scripture tells a different story. (4:11) Galatians 6, 7 through 8 warns, do not be deceived.

(4:16) God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. (4:19) Whoever sows to the flesh will reap destruction.

(4:25) Revelation 20, 10 describes the end of that road. (4:30) A lake of fire with torment day and night. (4:33) This isn’t a party, it’s a catastrophe.

(4:37) We can see the end of the road isn’t fun. (4:40) The highway to Hell might be fun, but not when you have to pay the consequences. (4:45) Many believe they’re exempt from this judgment.

(4:49) I once knew a co-worker who thought he had a deal with God, (4:54) assuming his sins weren’t bad enough for Hell. (4:58) But the Bible is clear. (5:00) There is no side deal outside of God’s Word.

(5:05) I don’t know, I’ve run into a few people like this who think (5:09) they have some kind of thing worked out with God, you know, (5:12) like they’re special and they don’t have to follow what the Bible says. (5:17) A lot of people that don’t know the Bible think they can have some kind of understanding with God (5:22) or some kind of religious thing outside the Bible. (5:28) But that’s not true.

We can only make it to Heaven and please God by obeying His Word. (5:36) Romans 3.23 reminds us, (5:38) all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (5:45) Without a course correction, the highway to Hell leads only to regret.

(5:51) We can see, like I said, it could be fun living worldly. (5:58) You know, living as a Christian can seem boring. (6:02) You can’t do anything fun.

(6:05) You know, there are fun things, and you can’t have fun as a Christian, (6:08) but there’s a lot of worldly things that could please your flesh (6:13) and look a lot more entertaining. (6:16) But when all is said and done, you’re going to regret it (6:18) because you’re going to spend eternity in flames. (6:24) So in contrast, Jesus offers a different path.

(6:28) Matthew 7.13-14 says, (6:46) This isn’t one of many paths. It’s the only path. (6:51) Jesus declares in John 14.6, (7:01) Acts 4.12 reinforces this.

(7:05) Salvation is found in no one else. (7:08) There’s only one way to Heaven. (7:11) Not many ways.

(7:13) The world promotes a buffet-style spirituality. (7:18) Pick what feels good from Christianity, Buddhism, or personal beliefs. (7:25) How many people think that every religion leads to the same place? (7:30) They think that every God is the same.

(7:32) They think that Buddhism, you know, and being a Muslim, (7:37) they worship the same God, but that’s completely untrue. (7:43) Only one way is going to make it to Heaven, and that’s being a Christian. (7:50) James 2.10 warns that (7:58) like a drop of poison in a glass of water, (8:01) a single falsehood can corrupt the soul.

(8:05) God’s standard is unwavering, (8:07) and the stairway to Heaven requires obedience to His truth. (8:11) You can’t just pick and choose whatever you want. (8:14) Even Christians, there’s thousands of different ways people practice Christianity.

(8:21) The devil knows that he can just get you on one point, (8:24) and your soul’s in danger. (8:28) Satan doesn’t need to destroy the Church. (8:31) He only needs to distort the truth.

(8:37) So you can see, that’s the way he can completely wipe the Church out, (8:42) by distorting the truth, by leading us a little bit off the path. (8:48) In Genesis 3.4, he added, (8:52) you will not surely die to God’s command, leading Adam and Eve to sin. (8:58) He added two words, not surely.

(9:01) All he had to do was change God’s word a little bit, (9:06) and he’d destroy Adam and Eve’s soul. (9:10) When tempting Jesus in Matthew 4.6, he misquoted Psalm 91. (9:16) He omitted key words to manipulate the meeting.

(9:20) So you can see, he twists Scripture. (9:22) That’s his key way to attack. (9:26) Today, he promotes a pick-and-choose religion, (9:28) encouraging people to ignore parts of Scripture that challenge him.

(9:33) But John 14.23 is clear. (9:37) If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. (9:42) Scripture shows that consequences of straying from God’s word, (9:47) God’s way, even if a minor thing in our eyes, is wrong.

(9:55) Even little things that we might not think is a big deal, (10:00) God may think it’s a big deal. (10:02) You know, a lot of people think, oh, it’s no big deal if we use an instrument in worship. (10:08) It’s no big deal if we only take the Lord’s Supper once a month.

(10:12) It’s not a big deal if we don’t get baptized or certain things. (10:17) Even little things, a lot of people don’t think is a big deal. (10:21) But what does God think? (10:23) Looking back in the Bible, Cain’s wrong sacrifice was rejected.

(10:28) Genesis 4, 6-7. (10:31) God wanted an animal sacrifice. (10:33) He thought, why don’t I give wheat because that’s what I do.

(10:38) God didn’t accept it. (10:41) Moses disobeyed by striking the rock and was barred from the promised land. (10:46) Numbers 20, 11-12.

(10:49) Instead of speaking to the rock, all he did was tap the rock with his staff. (10:55) And that was enough to be barred from the promised land from God, that one little thing. (10:59) After all the good Moses did, he still made it to heaven, (11:02) but he wasn’t allowed into the promised land after the journey in the wilderness.

(11:09) Aaron’s sons used unauthorized fire and were consumed. (11:14) Leviticus 10, 1-2. (11:18) If you remember Aaron’s sons, they weren’t the greatest, too, (11:22) but they were told to use a certain fire for incense and sacrifice.

(11:28) They used strange fire, and God consumed them with fire. (11:32) He destroyed them right then and there. (11:35) God’s standards haven’t changed.

(11:38) God told Cain in Genesis 4-7, (11:41) If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? (11:46) But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. (11:53) It desires to have you, but you must master it. (11:57) So Cain was upset that his sacrifice wasn’t accepted, (12:01) but instead of just doing what God asked, he killed his brother.

(12:06) It’s simple to please God, just do what He asks us. (12:10) We don’t have to add or take away from His Word. (12:14) A preacher once told me, (12:17) You’re not the audience at worship, God’s the audience.

(12:20) It’s not about pleasing us and entertaining us, it’s about pleasing God. (12:26) So you don’t practice religion based on what you want to do. (12:31) It’s about what God wants.

(12:33) Sin, just like the devil, crouches, (12:37) like a lion waiting to pounce and devour you. (12:41) The devil is just waiting for his chance to get you. (12:44) Waiting for you to slip up just a little bit.

(12:49) Obedience keeps us on the narrow path. (12:52) As Luke 11-28 declares, (12:56) Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and obey it. (13:01) You’re blessed when you obey God’s Word.

(13:05) The highway to hell is wide and easy, (13:07) but the stairway to heaven is narrow and deliberate. (13:13) In Genesis 28-12, Jacob saw a ladder reaching to heaven, (13:17) with angels ascending and descending, (13:21) a picture of Christ bridging humanity and God, (13:26) Colossians 1-19-20. (13:30) Jesus Himself confirms this in John 1-51, saying, (13:34) You shall see heaven open, (13:36) and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.

(13:42) So you can see the type-anti-type relationship here. (13:47) Jesus is the ladder. He’s the only way up.

(13:52) Salvation isn’t earned by good deeds or intentions, (13:55) but by submitting to God’s plan. (13:58) Matthew 7-21 warns, (14:01) Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, (14:06) but only the one that does the will of my Father. (14:11) We can see there’s a lot of people that think they’re Christians, (14:14) think they’re doing the right thing, (14:16) but they’re not doing what God asks.

(14:18) They’re not going to be accepted, just like Cain was. (14:23) Jesus is the door, John 10-9. (14:27) And obedience to the gospel is the key.

(14:32) He gives us the key, the Bible. (14:36) Ephesians 4-5-6 reminds us there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism. (14:44) To stay on course, we must study to show ourselves approved.

(14:50) Rightly dividing the word of truth, 2 Timothy 2-15. (14:56) Abiding in Christ’s word to find freedom. (15:01) John 8-31-32.

(15:07) So in conclusion, the highway to hell may seem thrilling, (15:11) like speeding down a road weaving through traffic. (15:15) But eventually the reckless driver crashes or faces judgment. (15:21) But not too long ago, I got a speeding ticket.

(15:24) I got going down a highway too fast. (15:27) And I was going a lot over, so I had to go to court and face a judge. (15:33) So the same way, we’re all going to have to stand before God’s judgment seat, (15:40) answering for every deed and word.

(15:43) John 5-28-29 and Matthew 12-36. (15:50) We’re all going to have to answer, you know, if we’re speeding on the highway to hell. (15:55) We’re going to have to stand before God and answer for all we’ve done on this earth.

(16:01) The good news, you can exit the highway to hell through repentance at any time. (16:07) At any time you can get off and turn around and do a 180 and go the other way. (16:14) The thief on the cross turned to Jesus in his final moments (16:17) and was promised paradise.

(16:21) But don’t wait. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. (16:27) Two paths lie before you, a crowded highway to destruction or a narrow stairway to life.

(16:35) Jesus is the ladder, the door, the only way to heaven. (16:40) Obey the gospel and study God’s words diligently. (16:45) Resist the devil’s lies and the world’s temptations.

(16:50) If you’re on the wrong road, take the exit now. (16:54) Repent and turn to Christ. (16:56) If you’re a Christian on the narrow path, stay faithful till the end.

(17:03) If you want to become a Christian or need the prayers of the congregation, come forward. (17:09) Let’s walk the stairway to heaven together.