Good morning and happy Saturday. I hope that you have been having a good week and that you are seeking to walk with Christ. As I mentioned in the message last Sunday, “Just one thing, live your life in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” (see Philippians 1:27). That is an incredibly high challenge, and yet, that is what we are taught in God’s Word. Let’s all strive to become all that God wants us to be for His glory and honor.
The other day I heard the sound of a plane flying overhead so I stopped what I was doing and watched it go by. Ever since I was young (which was a long time ago), I have been fascinated with airplanes. For whatever reason, they captivate my attention as they soar across the sky. To this day, I love driving by the airport and seeing the planes taking off or landing. I have dragged my family to several airshows (usually the least expensive ones I could find). When we have gone on family vacations, they have been blessed to go to places like the air and space museum in Omaha or the one in Pima, Arizona. Of course, the trip to D.C. included a lengthy tour of their exhibits. Needless to say, my kids were ready to go long before I was. Anyway, as I watched the plane recently, I asked a question that often comes to my mind. I am not sure why I ask it out loud, but I often do. As I gaze into the heavenlies, I ask, “I wonder where they are going?” As is often the case, Michelle responded as almost everyone else does by saying, “I have no idea.” Of course, unless you could read the number on the plane and cross-reference it to the flight database, it would be nearly impossible to guess. In reality, that question, which I have asked many, many times, really is just to get me daydreaming about where they might be headed. Most often, I imagine the plane heading off to some vacation destination like Cancun, Cabo San Lucas, the Grand Cayman Isle or Cleveland. Well, actually not Cleveland. Just making sure you are reading every word and not skimming through this like some non-sensical junk email that you have received. I like to think that the planeload of people are flying to somewhere fun. I don’t think I have ever imagined that in reality, a lot of planes are filled with people going to lackluster destinations. Many of them are on business trips, going to yet another boring conference or having to solve problems. It’s not always the glamourous life when you are crammed into what amounts to a cattle car with wings.
As I thought about this scenario, it made me think of something more important. Why is it that I don’t often ask that question about the multitude of people that I see each week? Whether they are walking, riding a bike, driving a car, riding in a bus or whatever, the same question can be asked. “I wonder where they are going?” Except, not from a temporal perspective. Yes, they might be going to Dollar General or Pathlight Brewery next to the church, or World’s of Fun, or home from a long day at work. That is all well and good. However, from an eternal perspective, “I wonder where they are going?” Why is it that I ask that about planes flying by but not about the people I see all the time? It is a bit perplexing since the eternal destination of people is of the utmost importance. All people are headed to one of two eternal destinations – heaven or hell. And, it should be a concern of ours that we seek to help people understand that. In Matthew 7, Jesus taught the following:
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. 14 How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.”
The road that people are on is leading to life or destruction. It matters greatly which path they choose. It is absolutely incredible to think that God wants us to be used by Him to help people find the road to life. Actually, it is more than a want, a desire, or wishful thinking on His part. Rather, it is a command.
18 Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).
In John 14:6, Jesus proclaimed, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” If that is true, and it is, then we should continually seek to point people in the right direction – to Jesus.
Let’s wonder where people are going….and then be willing to do something about it.
From our neighborhoods to the nations,
Pastor Larry
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