P23 In The Paths of Righteousness 5/31/15

Transcription

1 P23 In The Paths of Righteousness 5/31/15 -Guatemala -Population of Guatemala is 14.6 mil. -Over half of the population lives below the poverty line. -Nearly half of Guatemala s children under the age of 5 are chronically malnourished (one of the highest rates in the world) -There are 4.5 million orphans in Guatemala. -Lord s Supper Intro: -1 Corinthians 11:23-28 (NLT) For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread 24 and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me." 25 In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant between God and his people an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this to remember me as often as you drink it." 26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord's death until he comes again. 27 So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. -3 things about the Lord s Supper that we need to be aware of: -It reminds us of our past -It reminds us of our future -It reminds us of our present -Don t dismiss by rows there are several stations located throughout the auditorium. -After I pray, you can get up and go to the stations when you are ready. -One of our elders will be at each station to pray with you and minister to you -Pray and Dismiss to Stations He Leadeth Me by Kristen Osborne -Intro: -We ve been spending some time in the 23 rd chapter of Psalms. -Focusing on the goodness, kindness, compassionate, caring and ever-present-help of God in the form of a Shepherd -and later on in this chapter in the form of a Host. -Today, we are looking at the later part of verse 3. -Psalm 23:3b He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name s sake.

2 -Pastor Steve, last week, talked about how Our Great and Good Shepherd -Carefully leads the sheep under his protection to food and fresh water. -Here again, we see God leading. -Notice how He leads (1) He Leads Me -It s not I who leads Him but He leads me. -It s not Hey Jesus, You follow me around and You bless whatever I do. -Jesus says to us, Follow Me. -Sometimes several shepherds will pen their sheep together in a cave or sheepfold at night. The next morning the shepherds call out to their own sheep. Each sheep knows the shepherd s voice and responds immediately. Even in a large flock, one individual sheep will run to its shepherd when its own pet name is called. - John 10:27 (NKJV) My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. -One of the evidences of you truly being a follower of Jesus is that you WANT to follow Him. -It is not your desire to disobey Him. -You want, you long, and you deeply desire to follow Him. -Why? It is the desire of the Holy Spirit within in you placed in you the moment you said Yes to following Jesus. -Before we came to Christ, we had no desire to follow Him. -But after we come to Christ, it s our chief desire. -That s the transformation that happens. -Jesus does not fight with His followers about who leads. -1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NKJV) Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God s. -He will bring them into submission to His authority by any means necessary. -He knows that His leading is for our best. -HE LEADS ME and a true follow wants it no other way Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us by Kristen Osborne -Notice where He leads (2) In The Paths of Righteousness -That word literally means in the best path -They are straight paths, not crooked, with the least amount of harm.

3 -Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight -This is where the Holy Spirit leads, the straight path toward being like Jesus. - Pastor Matt, how will I know if it s the straight path? -Does it contradict the Word of God? -Does it cause a warning signal to go off in you? (Holy Spirit) -Does it cause friends to stumble? -When you became a Christ-follower, God began to change your desires. -What you used to crave, you now despise. What you used to despise, you now crave. -That s one of the evidences of the Holy Spirit. -God will never lead you into evil but always away from it. -He will never tempt you to do wrong. He only does what is right. -The Holy Spirit within you, contends with you to do what is right. -If God wants us to follow Him onto the straight path, who then wants you to take the crooked path? -Where does that lead? -Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV) Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. -The right path is always available in every situation. -The Great Shepherd is willing to lead you onto it if you are willing to follow Him. -Are you willing to take it? Fairest Lord Jesus by Kristen Osborne -He Leads Me (where) To The Paths of Righteousness -Why? (3) For His Names Sake -The Shepherd is responsible for the welfare of the sheep under his care. -His reputation (his good name) as a caretaker is on the line. -For God, it s the same way. -If you don t already know this, God loves His name and His reputation. -He stakes everything on His name. -That s why He says in the 10 commandments, Don t take my name in vein. (Misuse)

4 -When you say that God said something when he didn t. (What if I did that to you?) -When you use God s name as a swear word (What if I did that to your name?) -God loves His name. -Have you ever explored the names of God in the Old Testament? -Elohim (The plural name for God meaning Creator, Mighty, Strong) -Adonai (Lord, Master) -El-Roi (The God Who Sees) -El-Shaddai (Lord God Almighty) -El-Elyon (The Most High God) -El-Gibhor (Mighty God) -El-Olam (The Everlasting God) -Yahweh (LORD) -Yahweh Elohim (Lord of Lords) -Yahweh Jireh (The Lord Who Provides) -Yahweh Nissi (The Lord Our Banner) -Yahweh Rapha (The Lord Who Heals) -Yahweh M kaddesh (The Lord Who Sanctifies You) -Yahweh Shalom (The Lord Is Peace) -Yahweh Sabaoth (The Lord of Hosts) -Yahweh Tsidkenu (The Lord Our Righteousness) -Yahweh Shammah (The Lord Is There) -Yahweh Rohi (The Lord Our Shepherd) -His name, His character and His reputation are on the line. -It s all on His shoulders to carry us safely home. -What worries should we have when we are in such great care? -He Leads, We Follow -That s all we are asked to do. -Remember what we said in week 1: -Have to be willing to be led by the Shepherd -Financially

5 -Emotionally -Physically -At work, in your business, -At Home with your spouse and your children -In your possessions -In your leisure time. -Everything underneath the Lordship of Jesus -He is good and we can trust Him with everything. HE LEADS ME ON THE STRAIGHTEST AND BEST POSSIBLE PATH BECAUSE HIS REPUTATION IS ON THE LINE. ALL HE ASKS US TO DO IS FOLLOW Bridge Group Questions (1) What impacted you most about this week s message? (2) Is it more He leads me or I lead Him in your life? Explain (3) Have you ever found yourself on the not so straight path? What got you there? (4) What are the benefits of living life on the straight path? How has this been played out in your life? (5) Does For His Name s Sake take on a new meaning for you now? God s reputation is on the line for getting us safely home? What peace and encouragement does that give you? (6) If you truly believed question number 5, how would that change the way you live right now regarding worry, stress, anxiety? What is it in your life that you need to cover with the name of God?