I Was Walking In The Park and Now I'm Lost in the Woods

Amos 3:3 ESV

3 “Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?

Travel is something we all do. But two strangers would never be travelling together. People would not travel with people they did not know. Two matters would have to be settled first. They would have to “meet”… that is , to know each other. Secondly, they would have to “agree” to a set time and place to meet again- in order to walk or travel together.

What does it take to “agree” to walk together- to travel together- as Christians.?

agree- translates as “meet” seven times,

“together” five times,

“assemble” four times,

“appointed” three times,

“set” three times,

“time” twice,

“betrothed” twice,

“agreed” once, .

“appointment” once, and

“gather” once.

Amos 3:3 MSG

3 Do two people walk hand in hand if they aren’t going to the same place?

Amos 3:3 ESV

3 “Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?

There are many places where we walk hand in hand.

Marriage.- we take vows of faithfulness, of love, of commitment.

Church Membership- Prayers, Presence, Gifts, Service, Witness.

In my own life, I have promised to walk hand in hand with my wife. My family.

I have promised to walk hand in hand with other UM pastors. Covenant.

In the church I have promised to walk with you- the Westbrook Park Church. Covenant.

All of these “walks” in my life have been by agreement.

Amos 3:3 ESV

3 “Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?

There is a part of this verse that is not clear in the english text- but it is evident in the Hebrew text. And it has to do with the word “walk”.

There is a part of this verse that is not clear in the english text- but it is evident in the Hebrew text. And it has to do with the word “walk”.

They have indeed agreed to meet at a set time to walk. They have indeed agreed to a beginning and an ending to the walk.

In marriage- in family life- no matter what we may think, those are lifetime agreements… until death do us part. Right?

But the truth is divorces happen. Marriages fail.

Parents and children, by divine appointment have not chosen to walk together- in a sense, the adage, “You can pick your nose, but you can’t pick your family is true”. Parents have chosen to “have” children when they physically act in ways that bring children into the world. that is biology. But children nor parents have the choice to pick their families. God does that.

Gazillionairre Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, said in a recent interview that if you are born in the world, you have a 2 percent chance of being born in the United States. When you think about it in those terms, we are all very fortunate.

But if that is true, what are the chances that you would have the children you have instead of the children your neighbor has? Or what are the chances you would have the parents you have instead of the parents your best friend had? It seems the answer would be a very minimal fraction of a percentage chance.... very small chance.

But for we Christians, we believe that the chance is 100 percent on both of those counts… because though we did not make those arrangements.... God did. And God doesn’t take chances- God makes appointments.

God told Jeremiah, before he was formed in the belly of the womb of his mother, GOD KNEW HIM. And not only that, God had set him apart to a path to walk.

I want to submit to you today, Westbrook Park Church, that God has set you apart on a path- to walk with Him, to walk with me, to walk with each other. He’s done that over and over again in the Bible.

Genesis 5:22–24 ESV

22 Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.

This verse deserves Eugene Peterson’s translation of the passage. Look at Genesis 5.22-24 from the Message

Genesis 5:22–24 MSG

22 Enoch walked steadily with God. After he had Methuselah, he lived another 300 years, having more sons and daughters. 23 Enoch lived a total of 365 years. 24 Enoch walked steadily with God. And then one day he was simply gone: God took him.

Or, how about Noah? In Genesis 6.9

Genesis 6:9 ESV

9 These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.

Or , How about Abraham in Genesis 17.1? Look at Genesis 17.1

Genesis 17:1 ESV

1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless,

God called Abraham to walk with Him- and to be blameless and holy.... and we know that the Bible says that Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to Him as righteousness.” Abraham walked by faith- into fatherhood, into faithfulness, into family, into eternity. Because He believed God.

And He has called you and I as well- to agree to walk with Him. Look at 2 Cor 6.14-16

2 Corinthians 6:14–16 ESV

14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Amos 3:3 ESV

3 “Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?

For Amos, for this unfinished walk begins with agreement by two parties.

Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and You and I- we walk with God by agreeing to do so.

Just as any other relationship- there is an agreement on a time, a place, a destination, and a manner of walking together.

Disagreements

But what happens when to two walking together agree to walk together but a disagreement occurs on the way? Before the walk is over? What happens when the walk is disrupted?

In marriages- separation or divorce may happen. Or reconciliation can occur.

In family relationships- we all know that families are fragile and break. And reconciliation is hoped for, but not always achievable.

And as everyone here knows, even among God’s people disagreements arise. Sometimes they arise to the point of separating, or even of divorcing.

The Bible is full of people who had disagreements. Miriam and Aaron had a disagreement with Moses about his wife and that God was speaking through him.

Joseph’s brothers disagreed about Joseph. They sold him into slavery.

Jacob and Esau had a disagreement over the theft of the birthright. They separated.

Job and his friends disagreed on why people are suffering.

Paul and Barnabas had a disagreement over John Mark going on the second missionary trip.

Paul and Peter also had it out over Peter not eating with Gentiles.

In many of these disagreements, something occurred that allowed reconciliation to occur. Joseph saved the family in that process. He even credited God with using the disagreements for His purposes. You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. And He and his brothers hugged and wept and there was good.

Who can forget Jacob and Esau being reunited?

You see, the walk that was abruptly halted by disagreement ended- but then it came back to life- there was reconciliation or resolution- but the walk continued. Agreement was reached. The place, the path, and the purpose were restored. Together.

But unfortunately, sometimes that did not happen. The walk ended. Altogether.

And key to this, church, is learning to move forward even if you can’t move forward together..........................................

Some have called this

Agreeing To Disagree

Acts 15:36–41 ESV

36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” 37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. 38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 39 And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

They both sailed- but apart. They both did the work of the church- but apart. I think one of the most tragic verses of scripture- that truly tells the failure of Christians to live by Jesus’ rule in their life is Acts 15.39

Acts 15:39 (ESV)

39 And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other.

The redeeming idea in this passage is that the work of God continued.

The embarassing idea in this passage is that one who wrote 67 percent of our New Testament, and another equally faithful witness for the kingdom- could not agree to walk together over the most immature and silly disagreements. Perhaps I am wrong.

I think God was sad in that instance. I think He is just as sad when we cannot get along.

How Not to Die

It’s a book on nutrition. Most of us find we can’t eat what it takes to live longer so we gravitate to behaviors that shorten our lives quicker.

Then the spinach and kale and collard greens have rotted on the vine or in our refrigerator- our go to becomes McDonalds or Wendy’s and it’s the worst idea we could ever have.

I’m guilty.

Keep Your Friends Without Losing The Lord. but if you’ve got to lose someone, don’t lose HIM.

I think the key to disagreeing with fellow Christians should never be to win.

Christianity Is Not A Competition

Keep Your Friends Without Losing The Lord. but if you’ve got to lose someone, don’t lose HIM.

I told you one of the mosttragic verses in the disagreement between Paul/Barnabas was the verse that said their disagreement was so sharp they parted ways. The best verse in that passage- although it is not necessarily redemptive initself- is that they continued to strengthen the churches. It means they continued in the work and in their personal walks with Christ.

Learn How To Walk With Jesus Even If You Can’t Walk With Each Other

One of the keys to this is to not become bitter.

The best advice I ever had for ministry was simple. “Stay Sweet”.

Walking with Jesus apart from a fellow Christian(s) is never optimal. But it may be necessary.

Paul and Barnabas’ disagreement was in no way a beacon of light to how Christians should function. it was anything but.

But I believe they found a key way to do that, and I think you need to know what that was.

Simply put- they didn’t get bitter.

David walked away. Alone. And that is both the right way to go and the saddest commentary on family relationships I’ve ever heard. But I would.... and I will… do the same thing if necessary.

Paul and Barnabas went their separate ways. But they kept serving Jesus.

This is not about my family. I hope it is not about yours.

But your pastor’s heart is broken on several levels these days, church. Because those of us who declare Jesus the most resemble Him the least.

And it is only amplified when we agree to disagree. Agreeing to disagree is not a covenant- it is brokenness. Agreeing to disagree is not forgiveness- it is a complete failure of the principles of Jesus Christ- and nothing less.

And when we don’t win God is not disappointed. But when we feel we have lost- I assure you He is.

Learn How To Walk With Jesus Even If You Can’t Walk With Each Other