Find A Way
by way of
The Way
Scripture Reading & Intro
God created the Heavens and earth and animals and man
God had set man in the Garden of Eden with one explicit command
Not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
The Tree of Life
There was another Tree present in the Garden,
Man was able to eat of the Tree of Life and live forever
As we all know man did not keep the single command of God
He did eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
Gen 3:22 "And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know
good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and
eat, and live for ever:"
Gen 3:23 "Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the
ground from whence he was taken."
Gen 3:24 "So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden
Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of
life."
It took great courage and foreknowledge of God
to drive man from the Garden of Eden
to drive man from the Tree of Life
to drive man into a world
where he must one day die
But God’s plan included a Way for man
To come back to God by placing all his trust in the One to Come
The Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world, Jesus Christ
Then man would one day be rid of the sin in his body and soul and be back where God had
intended him to be all along
Text
Gen 3:24 "… a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of
life."
For the last 6000-10000 years
man has attempted to Find a Way
Incidentally
man is proabably no older than 6000 to 10,000 years
Man did not evolve from the animals
Nor did the animals evolve from him
Man must Find a Way
Corrupted Way
About 1700 years later
Things had not gone well for man
Oh there was Progress
Man learned to use
the abundant natural resources
the dexterity of his hands
the seemingly endless resources or his mind
Oh there was Prosperity
Man learned to buy, sell and trade
Oh there was Pleasure
Man learned to
marry and
give in marriage
eat
drink and
be merry
Gen 6:12 "And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had
corrupted his way upon the earth."
He had begun
to learn the ways of the world
to learn the ways of sin
to learn the ways of life without God
As man corrupted his own way
He had begun
to corrupt God’s way
the spiritual way
the joyful way
the blissful way
As man keeps searching to Find a Way
He forever digs up a Corrupted Way
Paul wrote 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.On their way"
Man had fallen even further
He had begun to live in cities
the whole time thinking that he was advancing his way
but really only sliding backwards
Men had gathered in a city called Sodom
where they learned a new way
a way that was labeled after the city from that point on
the men that practiced the new way were called Sodomites
God came to visit
Abraham and Sarah
with 2 of His angels
God told Abraham
He was going to destroy Sodom, Gomorrah and 2 other cities
because of their extreme wickedness
Abraham attempted to save the cities
by reasoning with God
Here was his reasoning
that there were some good people living in those cities and that God being righteous Himself
would not destroy everything and everybody if there were some good folks there as well
God told Abraham
if there were 10 rightesous people left in the cities He would spare them
Gen 18:16 "And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham
went with them to bring them on the way."
At this point
Abraham could do nothing
but help them on their way
Went His Way
The Lord Leaves
to change the Way of Man and to reinstall His Way
Gen 18:33 "And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with
Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place."
It is usually sad for man
When the Lord leaves to go His Way
because man is usually contrary to God’s Way
Clash
So there’s going to be a clash
there’s going to be a winner and loser
there’s going to be a sad and pitiful man
When God leaves to take His Way
Everyone that stands in the Way is headed for trouble, strife and an uphill climb
Man must Find a Way
Oh that it be God’s way!
In the Way
Eleazer
is a faithful and obedient servant of Abraham who is sent to find the family of Nahor and
Milcah so that Isaac might have a wife from Abraham’s relatives back in the land of Shem
Eleazer goes on his Way
knowing he is in the right vicentity, stops at a well and speaks to a oung lady who has just
watered his camels for him
Gen 24:23 "And said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is there room in thy
father's house for us to lodge in?"
Gen 24:24 "And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah,
which she bare unto Nahor."
Gen 24:25 "She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender enough,
and room to lodge in."
Gen 24:26 "And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD."
Gen 24:27 "And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath
not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led
me to the house of my master's brethren."
Gen 24:28 "And the damsel ran, and told them of her mother's house these things."
Illustration
This reminded me of the Lewis and Clark Expidition where as they left St. Louis in 1803 going
to the Northwest and came across a French trapper and trader known as Charboneaux, who
was married to a previously captured Indian girl named Sacagewea. This girl had somehow
come 1000’s of miles down the Missouri River and was now headed back, years later. She was
able to communicate effectively with the plains Indians along the way so that they may Find
their Way to and through the Pacific Northwest. After many, many months of travel and
even having a baby along the way they take a southerly course from the Missouri and top a
crest between 2 hills and without much ado she exclaims, “I am back home”. She sees a craggy
hill which she calls “The Beaver Head”, which is actually just north of Dillon, MT., and recalls
it from childhood and says her “people live close by”. Sure enough as God Leads - In the
Way, those who are - In the Way, walk into the camp where her brother is Chief.
Man seeks to Find a Way
but it helps a great deal just Being In the Way that God has designed best for man
Look at Eleazer’s testimony as he was Being In the Way …
This is Eleazer quoting Abraham before he left …
Gen 24:40 "And he said unto me, The LORD, before whom I walk, will send his angel
with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and
of my father's house:"
The Lord will Prosper the Way
If, while we are On Our Way, are in His Way
Kept on the Way
Abraham had a son, Isaac
who had a son, Jacob
who connived his father Isaac
and his older brother Esau
out of his father’s Blessing for the oldest
and out of the Birthright for the oldest
Jacob had to leave town
very early one morning beause of his Conniving Ways and he too went back to the Land of
Shem where he met up with Nahor and Milcah’s family and married
After 20 years
of being mistreated himself
of being tricked by his relatives
of being connived against
He begins to recognize God in his life and leaves to go back to Canaan
When he says …
Gen 35:2 "Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away
the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:"
Gen 35:3 "And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto
God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I
went."
Man must Find a Way
But pray that as we Go in our Way that we will be Kept in the Way and brought back to
Bethel, the House of God, like Jacob.
Buried in the Way
Jacob had only arrived in Canaan
when Rachel’s time to deliver a baby who was to be called Benjamin
Gen 35:15 "And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Bethel."
Gen 35:16 "And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to
Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour."
Gen 35:17 "And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said
unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also."
Gen 35:18 "And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she
called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin."
Gen 35:19 "And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is
Bethlehem."
Oh the sorrows
that are Along the Way
Some we must bury seemingly too soon
Some we must bury before they Complete their Way
Some we must bury Because of the Way
Man must Find a Way
even as he must put some into the ground, those that did not make it All the Way.
Fall not Out by the Way
Jacob had 12 sons
One of which was called Joseph who was betrayed by 10 of his brothers and sold into
slavery in Egypt
Joseph, by the guidance of God In the Way became second only to the Pharaoh in Egypt and
guided Egypt through one of its most Trying and Perilous Ways
The 10 brothers
came to him for food at first they don’t recognize him but later Joseph reveals himself to
them and sends them back to get Jacob their Father
Gen 45:24 "So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See
that ye fall not out by the way."
Man must Find a Way
but it is ever present with men to give up along the way and Fall Out of the Way
Fall out of the Way
because of Difficulties along the Way
because of Frustration
because of Heart Ache
because of the World
because of Guilt
because we are Lonesome
because we are Tired
because we are Dissatisfied
because we are It did not Workout the Way we Intended
because we Made a Mistake
I am the Way
Man must Find a Way
But the real truth of the matter is this … Man must Find "THE" Way
John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the
truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
THE Way is not A Way
THE Way is THE Way
Jesus is the Way
To the Father
To Golden Streets
To Pearly Gates
To Eternal Life
But, Jesus is the Way, too …
To real Joy in this life
To Victory in the Contest of this Life
Paul’s testimony reflected
his seeing the Way as a Light
Acts 26:13 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness
of the sun, …”
Jesus is the Way
to Eternal Life
More Excellent Way
So that we may see how to live this life, now!!!!
Please read …
1 Cor 12:31 "But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet show I unto you a more excellent
way."
1 Cor 13:1 "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity,
I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal."
Charity is the excellent way
to live out our life until the time we are called to the entrance of that most holy and lovely
city
Love of God
Love of our fellow man
Mature Way
It is also our duty to help those that are not wicked in their way but are just off on a side track
along the way
It is written in the book of Acts this way …
Acts 18:24 And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at
Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.
Acts 18:25 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the
spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of
John.
Acts 18:26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and
Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God
more perfectly.
Error of their Way
Along the Way
There will be some
that will scoff
that will deny
that will mock
that will run head long deeper into sin
And it is our job …
to convert …
James 5:20 "… the sinner from the error of his way ……which …shall save a soul from
death, and shall hide a multitude of sins."
Way of Escape
More frequently than we would like to admit
the very best of us let the reigns fall or get on a horse we can't handle running directly into
temptation’s way, But we need to remember …
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."
1 Pet 2:2 "And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of
truth shall be evil spoken of."
Keep the Way
We need to go all the way back again to Abraham
to see how to pass on this Way and the Keeping of the Way
Gen 18:17 "And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;"
Gen 18:18 "Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all
the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?"
Gen 18:19 "For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after
him, and they shall keep the WAY of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the
LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him."
We need to command
our children and our household
To Keep the Way
To pass it on
Oh that it be said of us and our lives
Acts 19:23 “And the same time there arose no small stir about that Way.”
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