In this episode, Adrian Rogers addresses the timeless truths within Matthew 7, focusing on the ‘Holy Highway’. He illustrates the nature of the disciplined, different, and delightful path that believers are invited to traverse. Through vivid interpretations and compelling narratives, including the redemption story of John Newton, Pastor Rogers unfolds the transformational message of journeying with faith and purpose, urging listeners to contemplate their spiritual direction and ultimate destiny.
Pastor, teacher, and author Adrian Rogers has introduced people all over the world to the love of Jesus Christ and has impacted untold numbers of lives by presenting profound truth simply stated. Thanks for joining us for this message. Here’s Adrian Rogers.
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We’re making our way through the Sermon on the Mount under the general heading, Building on the Rock. Matthew chapter 7, verses 13 and 14 says, These are verses that talk about the holy highway. That’s what we’re going to be thinking about today. There are all kinds of roads in the world. As a matter of fact, there are over 4 million miles of roadway in the United States alone. Some good road and some bad. Very, very bad road. Some dangerous road because we have people on our highways that have more horsepower than horse sense. And I know that you will agree with that. I was thinking of some roads that I’ve traveled. I’ve had the experience of being in Rome and traveling on the Appian Way. The Built by the Romans, it’s still in better condition than some roadways in the world today. And one of those reasons is that the Romans laid a deep foundation. And that ought to be a lesson for us. I was thinking of some roads in this area, the Natchez Trace. It begins down in Natchez, Mississippi, ends up in central Tennessee. Going back to the 18th century was an old Indian trail. I was thinking of the Overland Trail beginning in St. Louis and going out to the far west where the stagecoaches would travel. Many, many roads in the world today. But really the road I want to talk to you today about is the Holy Highway, the straight and narrow, the old S&N. Look at it here. Verse 13, enter ye in at the straight gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction. And many there be which go in thereat because straight is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and few there be. that find it. And I want you to see three things that are in this passage, these two verses that I look at, first of all. I want you to see, as I look at it, there is a decision to face and there is a direction to follow and there is a destiny to find. That’s what these verses tell me. First of all, they tell me there is a decision to to face. For our Lord says, enter in. That is, it’s up to you. There is a decision that you must make. Now, there are only two ways. There’s the broad way and the narrow way. There’s the way that leads to life. There’s the way that leads to destruction. Now, let me talk to you about the narrow way today. The narrow way is the way that every blood-bought child of God is walking today. It is the holy highway. And the first thing I want to say about the narrow way, it is a disciplined way. When the Bible says straight here, it’s not talking about straight like a straight line. It means disciplined, rigorous is the way. If you’re looking for a cheap way, an easy way, a lazy way to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, forget it. Bible says we’re to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. We say, well, it pays to serve Jesus. Yes, it does, but it also costs to serve Jesus. It costs every day. It costs every step of the way. And there is no fine print in the contract that Jesus Christ gives. The problem with many people today is they have sort of a cheap grace that An easy believism. The way of Jesus Christ while salvation is free on the one hand. Yet there is a discipline to the Christian life. Any dead fish can float down the stream. You see, without discipline there’s no power. Loose wires just disconnected don’t make a beautiful sound. But if we connect them and put them in one of those marvelous pianos and stretch them until there’s tension there. discipline there then we get the music steam and vapor in the air there’s no power there but we compress it and put it in an engine and it will turn the turbine and the pistons because there is power there take a river and just let it meander and there’s no power there but dam it up and it makes a power dam that can light up a city broad is the way easy is the way that leads to destruction We’re looking for a cheap way, an easy way, a lazy way to serve the Lord Jesus. But Jesus said straight is the way. It is a disciplined way. And not only, friend, is it a disciplined way, it is a different way. Our Lord says few there be that find it. Few there be, not many. Don’t expect the crowds to be on this way. And don’t follow the crowds. The crowds are almost always wrong. What is happening in America today is because the crowds are wrong. We have morality by majority. Do you know what most folks are taking comfort in? They say, well, I’m just like everybody else. Isn’t that what they say? I am just as good as those other people. Friend, our way is a different way. It starts at a different source. It follows a different course. It ends at a different conclusion. And if you’re on this way, you’re going to be going against the tide most of the time because we are twice-born people in a world of once-born people and they are different from us and we are different from them. It is a disciplined way. It is a different way. And it is a delightful way. Do you think what I’m saying today is negative? Friend, you don’t know the joy of serving the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me give you a verse. Oh, I love this. It’s one of my favorite passages in the Old Testament. Put it in the margin. You may turn to it. Isaiah chapter 35. It talks about the holy highway. Isaiah 35, verses 8 and following. Here our Lord is talking about the way that Jesus is, in the Old Testament, He’s prophesying this holy highway. And listen to it. God says, “…and a highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called the way of holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for those, the wayfaring men.” Though fools shall not err therein, no lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon. It shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing. shall flee away. It is a delightful way. Why? Because it’s a clean way. Verse 8, the unclean shall not pass over it. That’s what he says. It’s the way of holiness. And if your heart is full of sin and filth and dirt and you’ve never repented, don’t tell me you’re on the holy highway. The Bible says here it is the way of holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it. It’s a clean way. And I’ll tell you, it’s a certain way. It’s delightfully clean. It’s delightfully certain. He says, a wayfaring man, though a fool, shall not err therein. Do you know what that means? A wayfaring man, though a fool, shall not err therein. It means a stranger without good sense can find his way on the holy highway. You don’t have to have a Ph.D. to travel this holy highway. The Bible says God has hidden these things from the wise and the prudent and has revealed them unto babes. And you may be here today and you say, you know, Pastor Rogers, I don’t know much about religion. I don’t know much about the Bible. I don’t understand all that you’re saying. Well, my friend, let me tell you that Jesus Christ loves you and it is so clean and so pure and so simple. Come to Jesus. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. That is gloriously simple and it is simply glorious. This way is delightful because it’s clean. This way is delightful because it is clear. I’ll tell you it’s delightful because it is confident. Oh, listen, you don’t have to worry about losing your salvation. You don’t have to worry about Satan pouncing you while you’re on the holy highway. Verse 9, no lion shall be there or any ravenous beast shall go up thereon. It shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. Ha, ha, ha. Oh, what a wonderful road. You get on this road and you let the Lord Jesus be your companion. And this road which is a clean way and a clear way is a certain and a confident way. Oh, He keeps us. And then it is a cheerful way. Bible says in the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away I love Jesus if I had a thousand lives I’d give him every one don’t feel sorry for me because I’m on the holy highway Oh, friend, this is what it’s all about. The ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads. What a wonderful, wonderful road this is. We love to sing that song, Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. It was written by John Newton. John Newton was one of the most wicked, vile sinners that ever lived. He’d committed almost every sin known to man. He was a drunken rum runner. He was a South Sea slave trader. He got so low in debauchery and sin that he finally ended up selling himself as a slave of slaves. And Jesus Christ miraculously saved John Newton. He’s the one who wrote the song Amazing Grace. His own epitaph he wrote. You want to hear what he wrote about himself? It’d be put on his grave marker. Listen, he said, John Newton, clerk, once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa. was by the rich mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the faith he had long labored to destroy. No wonder he could sing on the holy highway, amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. What is our Lord telling us in these verses? Number one, there is a decision to face. Number two, there is a direction to follow. It is a disciplined way. This way is a delightful way. But now here’s a third thing. Not only is there a decision to face, not only is there a direction to follow, but there is a destiny ahead. to find. Every road is going somewhere. And the one you’re on right now is going somewhere. Now I want you to ask this question. When I get to where I’m headed, where will I be? Ask it. When I get to where I am headed, where will I be? NOW THE LORD AGAIN IN A VERY NARROW WAY SAID THERE ARE ONLY TWO DESTINATIONS ONE HE CALLS DESTRUCTION AND THE OTHER HE CALLS LIFE YOU SEE DECISION DETERMINES DIRECTION AND DIRECTION DETERMINES DESTINY YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A ROCKET SCIENTIST TO FIGURE THAT OUT DO YOU DECISION DETERMINES DIRECTION AND DIRECTION DETERMINES DESTINY THAT’S WHAT OUR LORD IS SAYING I don’t want to sugarcoat what Jesus said. Jesus, Jesus, the loving Jesus had more to say about hell, H-E-double-L. Yes, I said hell. Jesus had more to say about hell than any other person in the Word of God. Jesus did. It was Jesus who talked about destruction. Don’t you point your finger at me and say, that man is a hellfire preacher. Just take it up with Jesus Christ. Jesus said the broad way. leads to destruction. In Chicago, there’s a nightclub. Would you believe it? They named the nightclub the Gates of Hell. Can you imagine naming a nightclub that? The Gates of Hell. One man, out on a lark, asked a policeman, how can I get to the Gates of Hell? On that same street where this nightclub was, was a church. Do you know the name of the church? It was Calvary Church. Do you know what that policeman told that man? You want to get to the gates of hell? Go right past Calvary and you’ll come to the gates of hell. Go right past Calvary and you’ll come to the gates of hell. And God has lifted up Calvary with a bloodstained prince of glory hanging in agony and blood. And he says, Stop! Stop! Stop! Or you’ll end up at the gates of hell. There is a destiny to find. It may be a fearful destiny or it may be a fabulous destiny. It may be life. That life begins not when you die. It begins when you step on the old S&N. Jesus said, I’ve come that you might have life and have it abundantly. Not only does He add years to life, He adds life to the years. And if there were no heaven and if there were no hell, it’s worth the trip just to be on this highway. just to be on this island. I mean, there is a destiny. But thank God, thank God, how wonderful that is. It will be worth it all when we see Jesus. Friend, there is a destiny. There is a destiny to find. It may be a fearful destiny. It may be a fabulous destiny. But listen to me. It will be a final destiny. It will be a final destiny. There’s no chance after death. Ecclesiastes chapter 11 and verse 3 says, And if the tree fall toward the south or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. That’s just a poetic way of saying when you die, your destiny is fixed. Revelation chapter 22 verse 11 says, He that is unjust, let him be unjust still. He that is filthy, let him be filthy still. I’ve studied this book for many years. I’ve read it, loved it, and preached out of it. I cannot find one place where God offers one shred of hope to those who die outside the Lord Jesus Christ. Not one. To the contrary, the Bible says it’s appointed unto man once to die and after this, the judgment. Now if you’re on the Broadway today, you’re on that turnpike to torment, you’re on that highway to hell, and there are a lot of people, and you’re having a big time, and God put this preacher in front of you, And this preacher is holding up a sign, and you know what it says? Heaven, exit now. Heaven, exit now. It never says the next exit. Always now. Because the next exit may be hell. There may not be another exit. You say, well, I’m not going to decide today, Pastor. See, you missed what I said to you. When you say you’re not going to decide, that is a decision. That is a decision that keeps you on the broad way that leads to destruction. You say, well, I’ve got plenty of time. I hope you do. But the Bible says, boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day will bring forth. There is a decision to face. A direction to follow and a destiny to find. That’s what Jesus says. Let’s pray. Lord, I pray in the name of Jesus that many today will just exit to the straight and narrow, the holy highway, that they will come to Jesus, who indeed is the highway, who said, I am the way. No man comes to the Father but by me. Father, I pray that they’ll not be afraid because, Lord, to know you, oh, it’s so wonderful. Holy Spirit of God, draw them, I pray. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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