Matthew 7:13-14

Introduction:

1. Research on daily decision-making ranges from hundreds to thousands of decisions per day for the average adult.

2. Most of these decisions are insignificant: what to eat, wear, etc.

3. Others are paradigm shifting, both in this life and into eternity.

Discussion:

I. Forks in the Road in Scripture

A. The concept of “forks in the road” runs throughout the Scriptures.

B. Consider a sampling of these texts and their implications:

1. Moses set life and death before Israel (Deuteronomy 30:15-20; cf. 1 Kings 9:1-9).

2. Joshua gave the Israelites two options (Joshua 24:14-15).

3. Psalms and Proverbs name only two paths (Psalms 1:1-6; Proverbs 1:7).

4. Jesus named only two roads with eternal import (Matthew 7:13-14).

II. Biblical Examples

A. Adam and Eve chose death (Genesis 2:17; 3:1-8).

B. Cain ruined his life and ended Abel’s (Genesis 4:1-24).

C. David and Bathsheba altered countless lives (2 Samuel 11-12).

D. Solomon’s paganism divided Israel for good (1 Kings 11).

E. Judas and Peter both grievously sinned against Jesus, but one destroyed himself while the other was redeemed.

F. Agrippa was almost persuaded but lost in the end (Acts 26:28-29).

G. This list could go on and on and on.

III. Prevention and Restoration

A. As they say, an ounce of spiritual prevention is worth a pound of cure.

B. The best policy is to set our minds to take the right path before we encounter the forks in the road (Daniel 1:8; Matthew 6:19-34; Colossians 3:1ff).

C. However, if we have already taken the wrong turn at that spiritual fork in the road, He has empowered us to return (Luke 15:4-6; 1 Peter 2:24-25).

Conclusion:

1. We all face forks in the road, so we must get our roadmaps out ahead of time.

2. May we set our minds before we get there to make the right decision.

3. If we already went the wrong way, may we return to our Shepherd.