Please, Lord, Direct My Path - 7

Please, Lord, Direct My Path - 7

Subject: Finding God’s Divine Direction in Our Lives

By Rick Welborne

Proverbs 3:1-10 (NKJV) ¹ My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands;
²  For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you.
³  Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart,
⁴  And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man.
⁵  Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
⁶  In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
⁷  Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.
⁸  It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.
⁹  Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
¹⁰  So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine. 

--To find God’s path we must use God’s Holy Word to be our road map…we need a map to get us where were are going…The Bible is our map and Holy Spirit is our GPS!

Matthew 5:17‑19 (NLT) 17 “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. 

18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. 

19 So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 

–Faithfulness to God...This is what God is calling us to...His clarion call is going out from His servants to be faithful to God above all else.

–God is calling us to be extraordinary in our giving of ourselves and of our finances, in our service to Him, in the gifts He has given to us.

–He is calling us to be faithful in our obedience, in being filled with His Spirit, in not comparing ourselves with one another, in the sharing His gospel because of the reality of heaven and hell.

–He is calling us to be faithful to His House because Jesus is the High Priest over His House. He deserves our faithfulness to come and worship Him.

–We need to be faithful to God because the days we are living in are evil. So much temptation to fall into. 

–Tonight I feel that the Lord has led me to speak about being faithful to the Word of God and holding it up as our standard. His Word is a lamp unto our path. In dictionary.com.  

Standard - For the believer it is the rule or principle to live by.

1. For God to Direct Us by His Standard It Cant’s be Based on Political Correctness.              

–Just because something has been deemed acceptable by our government or the laws of the land or by our culture does not make it acceptable as God’s standard. Example: Abortion.

Jeremiah 1:4‑7 (NLT) 4 The LORD gave me this message: 

5 “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” 

6 “O Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!” 

7 The LORD replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. 

–The law may say and the Supreme Court may rule that you cannot pray in school but God says: 

1 Thessalonians 5:17‑18 (NLT) 17 Never stop praying. 

18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 

–Government says we cannot teach Him in the schools.

Acts 5:27‑29 (NKJV) 

27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, 

28 saying, "Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man's blood on us!" 

29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men.” 

–They cannot not stop you from praying...I am sure all the schools affected by the school shootings were glad people were praying for God’s protection, intervention, and comfort.

John 16:33 (NKJV) 33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." 

–As a believer our standard has to be God’s Standard...His Word. It does not matter what you feel, what you think, what you are told or indoctrinated with, your standard is the Word of God. Choose to obey!

–Same sex marriage is one of the battles of our day and some states are saying that it is ok but it is contrary to God’s standard:

Matthew 19:4‑6 (NLT) 4 “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’ 

5 And he said, ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ 

6 Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.” 

–What if I am sincere...Paul was sincere when he was killing Christians but he was sincerely wrong...When he had an encounter with God not only did his standard change but the feelings that went with it.

2. For God to Direct Us by His Standard It Cant’s be Based on Presuming on God’s Grace.

–The grace of God was never intended to be a ticket for believers to live anyway they want to and then declare, “I am under grace”. Definitely not God’s narrow path. 

–How easy we have found it to disobey God’s standard (His Word) and then to repeat a little prayer and believe that God is pleased with us. God understands I am human! Really?

Romans 6:1‑2&7 (NLT) 

1 Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 

2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? 

7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 

–What Paul is saying is that if you have experienced the grace of God you should no longer be living a continued or willful life of sin. 

Romans 6:15‑16 (NLT) 15 Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! 

16 Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. 

–I have heard that as long as I prayed a prayer for Jesus to come into my life when I was young that no matter what I do I am ok with God...What is God’s standard?

–The whole book of Hebrews deals with avoiding Apostasy (defection from the faith) and it lays out God’s standard very clearly: Heb. 10 deals with Christ’s sacrifice for us:

Hebrews 10:26‑31 (NLT) 26 Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. 

27 There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. 

28 For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 

29 Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us. 

30 For we know the one who said, “I will take revenge. I will pay them back.” He also said, “The LORD will judge his own people.” 

31 It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 

3. For God to Direct Us by His Standard It Cant’s be Based on Anything but the Word.  

2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV) 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 

–People say: I must get into God’s Word...good but what you really need is to get God’s Word into you. Why?

Hebrews 4:12 (NLT) 12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two‑edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 

–You may say: I do want to be a student of the Word but I need a really good teacher:

John 14:26 (NLT) 26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. 

Isaiah 59:19‑21 (NKJV) 

19 So shall they fear The name of the LORD from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him. 

20 "The Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob," Says the LORD.

 21 "As for Me," says the LORD, "this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants' descendants," says the LORD, "from this time and forevermore." 

–Notice the connection between the Spirit of God and His Standard (His Word).

Please, Lord, Direct My Path- 6

Please, Lord, Direct My Path- 6

Subject: Finding God’s Divine Direction in Our Lives

By Rick Welborne

Proverbs 3:1-10 (NKJV) ¹ My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands;
²  For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you.
³  Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart,
⁴  And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man.
⁵  Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
⁶  In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
⁷  Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.
⁸  It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.
⁹  Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
¹⁰  So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine. 

--Last week:

1. Stick It Out! Pray and never give up. 

2. Stay the Course! Continue in Holy Spirit.

3. Seek Selfless Sacrifice! Ruth was selfless and committed to Naomi and her God.

Tonight:

1.  We Find Among Our Ranks Sitters.

--Sitters are not necessarily those who do not see or hear the upward call. Sitters for the most part are those who have lost their vision or never had it.

--Godly vision is the power to see beyond our own limitations.

Vision is the 1. Ability to See, 2. The Faith to Believe, 3. The Courage to Do, 4. The Hope to Endure.

If you can’t see it, then you do not have vision.

Some people see it, but don’t believe it.  They do not have vision.

Some people see it, believe it, but don’t do it.  They do not have vision.  Sitters!

Three kinds of sitters in the church.

A. Sleepers - eyes open (sometimes) - mind & heart sleeping - can’t see it!

B. Recliners - watching but relaxing - they see it but don’t believe it.

C. Lazy Boys - no motivation - no passion - they see it, believe it, but will not do it.

Helen Keller - What’s worse than being blind?  Having eyesight but no vision.

D. King George III of Eng. Dairy - July 4, 1776 - Nothing important happened today!

E. Sitters are going to miss God’s last day outpouring and even be critical of it.

Ephesians 5:14-18 (NKJV)
¹⁴  Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light."
¹⁵  See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
¹⁶  redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
¹⁷  Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
¹⁸  And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 

2.  We Find Among Our Ranks Quitters.

A. Quitters have heard the upward call and they have seen the vision.

B. They believe the Word, they started the climb, but the cost seems to be too great.

C. Quitters are those among us who have lost their spiritual passion.

D. Passion - intense, compelling emotion evidenced in decisive, courageous action.  

Carl Barth - Passion is fear that said its prayers.

If you can’t see it, then you do not have vision.

Some people see it, but don’t believe it. They do not have vision.

Some people see it, believe it, but don’t do it. They do not have vision. Sitters!

Some people see it, believe it, start to do it but quit. They do not have passion -vision. Quitters!

E. Three Kinds of Quitters in the Church (those who are still around).

1. Disillusioned - this pressing upward was not what they were expecting. Too much effort.

2. Disturbed - stopped looking up and aggravated about all this climbing.

3. Discouraged - the tests, the trials, the challenges have pushed them to quit.

F. Vision and Passion Lead to Discipline - embracing the restraints of a godly ambition.  Paul, “I die daily”.

G. Solomon Said Where There is No Vision People Perish – they cast off restraint – they quit!

H. The Undisciplined - the uncommitted will quit because the way is too hard. Path too narrow.

3. We Find Among Our Ranks Climbers.

A. Climbers are those who have heard the upward call and are pressing toward the mark.

Philippians 3:12-15 (NKJV)
¹²  Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
¹³  Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
¹⁴  I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
¹⁵  Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.

B. Climbers have settled it in their hearts that the prize is worth the effort.

1 Peter 1:3-9 (NIV) ³  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
⁴  and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you,
⁵  who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
⁶  In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
⁷  These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
⁸  Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,
⁹  for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 

If you can’t see it, then you do not have vision.

Some people see it, but don’t believe it.  They do not have vision.

Some people see it, believe it, but don’t do it.  They do not have vision.   Sitters!

Some people see it, believe it, start to do it but quit.  They do not have passion or vision. Quitters!

Vision is the ability to see it, the faith to believe it, the courage to do it, and the hope to endure. Climbers!

C. Climbers have vision, passion, and discipline which gives them the courage to risk their lives for Christ.

D. Risk is spending your life making a difference that your dreams dared you to believe. Space Shuttle!

E. Sitters and Quitters think that you have lost your mind.

F. Climbers have lost more than their minds - they have lost their lives.

Matthew 10:38-39 (NKJV) ³⁸ And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
³⁹  He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

G. Climbers find others to link up with that have the same vision.

Ephesians 4:1-4 (NKJV)
¹  I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,
²  with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,
³  endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
⁴  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 

H. Illustration of the climb.

1. Look for a team - a remnant to climb with.  Unity…an absolute!  

2. Be clothed properly - Put on the Lord Jesus!

3. As you climb - anchor yourself to the Rock.

4. Keep your eyes upward - stay focused on the prize. Fix eyes on Jesus!

Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV)                                                                                                                                             ¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
²  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
³  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 

5. There will be set backs and delays - be disciplined and do not lose heart.

6. Keep climbing until you reach the summit.

7. Give God the glory!

Remember:

Risk without discipline is recklessness.

Discipline without passion is legalism.

Passion without vision is hype.

Vision without Christ is meaningless. 

--Don’t be a sitter…Don’t be a quitter…Be a climber for God!