Hearts Fully Alive.6 Walking with God Narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:14 You have made known to me the path of life. Psalm 16:11 After the road had run down some way, and had left Bree-hill standing tall and brown behind, they came on a narrow track that led off towards the North. This is where we leave the open road and take to cover, said Strider. Not a short-cut I hope, said Pippin. Our last short cut through the woods nearly ended in disaster. Ah, but you had not got me with you then, laughed Strider. My cuts, short or long, don t go wrong. He took a look up and down the road. No one was in sight; and he led the way quickly down towards the wooded valley 5 days later in the book They stood for a while silent on the hill-top, near its southern edge. In that lonely place Frodo, for the first time, fully realized his homelessness and danger. He wished bitterly that his fortune had left him in the quiet and beloved Shire. He stared down at the hateful road leading back westward to his home. Suddenly he was aware that two black specks were moving slowly along it, going westward; and looking again he saw that three others were creeping eastward to meet them. He gave a cry and clutched Strider s arm. Look, he said, pointing downwards. At once Strider flung himself on the ground behind the ruined circle, pulling Frodo down beside him something told them that there, far below, were Black Riders assembling on the road beyond the foot of the hill. Yes, said Strider, whose keener sight left no doubt. The enemy is here! The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien. The enemy is here too. Not just out there, in here. And he can cause trouble, even in the church. Just how powerful is he? Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing." Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. Acts 15:36-41 Paul and Barnabas would never work together again. I understand that, because the same thing happened to me. A friend and fellow pastor I worked with and I ended up with hearts hardened toward each other by the enemy. You would think we would know better, right, but it s so easy to get off track from where God wants you to be. Both of us were at fault in ways but the end result is that short of a miracle, my former friend and I won t share ministry together again in this life. Now, all Walking with God October 28, 2007 1 of 6
through this incident, I kept hearing this voice in my heart Forgive him, simply forgive him. I didn t want to hear that but God broke through that hardening in me. It took more than one time for me to listen to His voice. But by His grace, He has broken through the anger, hurt, and resentment and I have been able to forgive and to seek forgiveness. I tell you this to let you know how powerful the enemy is when combined with our old sinful natures. And to tell you that God still speaks and leads those who can hear Him. And we need Him to guide us because it s dangerous out there. The enemy is very creative. He knows how to get into our old sinful natures. We will need more than a handful of principles, no matter how noble they may be. We will need a living relationship with God to guide us. Remember our texts? Narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:14 You have made known to me the path of life. Psalm 16:11 I used to think these verse spoke only of eternal life. But, we have been given the gift of eternal life by God s grace. That s not something we find. We get off the path in this life in the ins and outs of this thing called living as a child of God. Jesus says there is a narrow path to life. That s not only a heavenly picture I believe it is about the life we have as His children in this word. Jesus says He has abundant living for us. And we need help finding it. The church has titled our walk with God as Discipleship. How many of you have heard that term before raise hands cool, what does it mean? The word actually means learner and follower. And I think we may have parsed it out so far that we have lost something important in the translation. There is a large, successful church in the Midwest that has a planned program to graduate you into a disciple. Here s the plan: Attend a new member class Take a course on doctrine Be faithful in attendance at worship and in a small group fellowship Take a course on Christian growth Live a life that demonstrates clear Christian growth as testified to by 3 people Take an evangelism course Consistently evangelize in your life by bring others to church Complete courses in Finance, Marriage, and Parenting (if you re a parent) Complete a leadership training course Complete a course on Spiritual Gifts and Biblical Counseling Carry a significant local ministry load When you have successfully completed all of the above you will become a Disciple.or at least Walking with God October 28, 2007 2 of 6
have earned a college degree. Now, I am sure that a lot of very valuable information is passed on in this kind of training. And I ll also admit, that programming like this was what I used to think was the key to discipleship. But there is one course missing, one that I would recommend above all others Walking with God. It is valuable to learn Christian principles, but only if we put them in the context of the fact that we were created for intimacy with God for a real, live relationship with Him. You might recall the old proverb: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. The same holds true here. Teach a man a rule and you help him solve a problem; teach a man to walk with God and you help him solve his life. I ve become convinced that you cannot master enough principles to see you safely through this Story of Life. There are too many surprises, ambiguities, exceptions to the rule. Things get hard at work is it time to make a move? Things get hard at home is this just a phase your child is going through or should you be worried? You can t seem to shake this depression is it medical or something darker? What does the future hold for you? How do you deal with what is happening right now? Only by walking with God can we hope to find answers on that path our Savior has placed us on. And ultimately, that s what it means to be a disciple to be a learner of Christ s teachings and follower of a real, living Savior. To do that we must know His principles, but we must follow Him. A personal walk with God comes to us through two things: wisdom and revelation. You will soon discover we need both. Look at what we have learned so far in this series. We have learned that things are not what they seem, and that we are not what we seem. We have learned that there is an enemy, even though we don t seem to live like it. We have learned that Jesus has come to give us life to the full, here and hereafter. We have learned that there is a battle underway, that this is a world at war spiritual war. We have learned that we have a crucial role to play. We have been told to guard our hearts above everything else because our hearts are central to our understanding the truth. We have learned that our heart has been ransomed by Christ and restored. The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin, and that he takes up residence in our hearts. We have an old, sinful nature, and a new nature in Christ. God has placed His light in us and we are to let that light shine so that others may see God in what we say and do. Our hearts have been made good by the gracious work of Jesus Christ. And we can battle our old, sinful nature, with the power of the Gospel. That s a lot to learn and I m not sure how well those lessons have translated into our daily living. We have been given forgiveness full and free CROSS/RESURRECTION. We have been given a new heart, we are a new creation in Christ Jesus. So, where do we go from here? When the apostles needed the help of some good men to shepherd the exploding new church, they chose men full of the Spirit and wisdom. Acts 6:3 Those two things go together; we need both. We need wisdom, and we need to walk by the inspiration of the Spirit of God. Early on in our journey, I think we should lean more toward wisdom. It takes time to walk with God in a deeply intimate way, and many challenges face us before we are accustomed to the way of the heart. Walking with God October 28, 2007 3 of 6
For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease without fear of harm... Then you will understand what is right and just and fair every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you and understanding will guard you. Proverbs 1:32-33, 2:9-11 God has given us all sorts of counsel and direction in His Word. The Bible is important to you because it not only tells the story of God s love for you, but it offers insight into the life He creates for us in Christ Jesus. And we have all that wisdom written down in black and white. We would do well to be familiar with it, study it with all the intensity of the men who studied the maps of Normandy before they hit the beaches on D-Day. The more the wisdom of God enters our hearts, the more we will be able to trust our hearts in the difficult situations we encounter in our lives. Remember what made Solomon such a great king? God had promised Solomon he could have anything he asked God for, and what did he ask for? So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?" 1 Kings 3:9 We seek the wisdom of the Lord because we need it. We need it discern what is really happening out there. It gets hard out there, doesn t it? We have heard enough of the commencement speech naiveté. Reach for the stars Follow your dreams find yourself Become the very best. It s ok advice but it is woefully inadequate. There is a real world out there, a real enemy, and a real spiritual war going on. And unless you plan to stay in here from now on, you are headed into a world in a spiritual war, and you are going to do battle with the devil, the world, and your old, sinful natures. Wisdom is crucial, and it is not enough. It is essential, and insufficient if that s all you have. Remember Saul of Tarsus? He was headed to Damascus to do what? Arrest Christians! He had official documents granting him permission to arrest all Christians and put them in prison. Now, you and I know that Jesus changed Saul s agenda radically before he ever reached the city. Saul experienced a blinding light, a voice from heaven, and the eventual realignment of his worldview. But the believers in Damascus didn t know all this. As they wait in fear of Saul s arrival God speaks to one of them, and man named Ananias. Walking with God October 28, 2007 4 of 6
In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!" "Yes, Lord," he answered. The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight." "Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name." But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name." Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Acts 9:10-18 Wisdom told Ananias to do what? Stay away. There was no Bible passage to instruct Ananias on how to handle what God told Ananias to do. Go! That s what God said. And against all wisdom, Ananias goes. The Bible is full of such counterintuitive direction from God. Would you counsel a father to sacrifice his only child who just happened to be the fulfillment of a promised nation? (Abraham and Isaac) Was it wise for a fugitive to walk back into a country where he was wanted for murder, a land where his kin were held as slaves, and to demand their release from Pharaoh himself? (Moses) Was it reasonable to take a fortified city by marching around it blowing horns? (Joshua, Jericho). How about slashing the ranks of your army from 32,000 to 300? (Gideon) How about sending a young shepherd boy against a trained giant mercenary? (David and Goliath) Even the cross looks like madness. Wisdom is good, but it s not enough and it could even hold us back from doing the will of God. Foolish is the church that trusts only in reason because it will be stripped of the voice of God calling them to faith and to respond to His challenges without always knowing how it will turn out. We must learn to walk with God. To do that, we will need to do three things. First, I believe that God is still speaking. He has given us His Word in Scripture, and nothing is to be added to that Scripture. Neither will God ever speak words that are not in line with His revealed Word. But is God now silent, or does He still speak to us? Does He still speak to our hearts and lead us through the circumstances of our individual lives? Look at these passages: I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you into all truth. John 16:12-13 He who belongs to God hears what God says. John 8:47 The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him Walking with God October 28, 2007 5 of 6
and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. Then he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow because they know his voice I am the Good Shepherd. John 10:2-4, 14 I believe God wants to speak to you; he wants to lead you through to good pasture. He wants you and me to know His voice. Walking with Him is a way of life. Enoch walked with God. Genesis 5:24 Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. Genesis 6:9 It s something to be learned; our ability to hear God s voice and discern His words to us grows over time. Second, we pay attention our hearts. When we set out to listen to God s voice, we do not listen as though it will come from somewhere above us or in the room around us. It comes within, in the heart, the dwelling place of God. It takes some practice to tune in. Many things try and play upon our heart. Advertisers friends and family even the devil, using our old sinful nature. How can you tell what, or who, is compelling you? This is where the wisdom of Scripture comes in. God will never call to you to do something against His revealed Word. Remember, we walk with God in WISDOM AND REVELATION. Our sinful flesh will try to deceive us. The enemy will play the ventriloquist and try to deceive us that what he is saying is from God. God will not call you to discouragement, condemnation, accusation, confusion, or counsel you against His will revealed in Scripture. Even when He convicts us of sin, it has a good purpose: Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 2 Corinthians 7:10 So, if you feel God is speaking to you, check what you are hearing against His revealed Word and purposes for you. And finally, we should walk alongside those who walk with God. I ll say a whole lot more about living in a believer s community later in the series. For now, you should look to those who have walked with God down through the ages. That is certainly a large part of Scripture. The Bible truly teaches doctrine and wisdom. But if you ever do the cover to cover thing, you ll notice that it teaches much of that through stories tales of men and women who walked with God. Much of the Bible is the testimony of what it means to walk with God through a thousand different episodes. When you are at war, when you are in love, when you have sinned, when you have been given a great gift you will find the stories of people who have walked with God through those kinds of things. And it s also not bad to check with those folks you respect for their walk with God. They can help you pray for wisdom as you discern God s voice. They can share with you their stories of walking with God. That s what Paul was talking about when he wrote: Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Walking with God that s the first of the 4 streams we spoke about last week. What about the next stream? And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever the Spirit of truth. John 14:16-17a. So, how would you feel if your spouse or friend said to you, I think you need some counseling, and so I ve arranged it for you? You start tomorrow.? I ve got 5 bucks that says you would get a little defensive. But according to Jesus we need it, and quite a lot of it. The Spirit isn t checking in to give us a quick tune up He has come to stay. Join us next week as we look at the second of the four streams Receiving God s Intimate Counsel. Walking with God October 28, 2007 6 of 6