Walking in His Ways # 3

Recap

Question: What does it mean to walk with God?

Joshua 22:5 (KJV 1900)

5 But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.

MW defines “walk” as: to live, act or behave; to pursue a particular course

Intro:

Last week we talked about how it was pointless to try and stay on the correct path without the right Light…

You cannot have a path that is well-lit and completely dark at the same time…

This week, I hope to continue to explain how to walk in all His ways…

Ephesians 5:8–13 (KJV 1900)

8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) 10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. 13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

John 8:12 KJV 1900

12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

1. The Command from last week (Walk as Children of Light)

1.. Examine the Path

Ephesians 5:10 (KJV 1900)

10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

Analogy: You don’t try going somewhere you’ve never been before without looking at a map, looking up directions or getting help from a GPS.

Why not?

If you don’t, you won’t get there!

Walk as children of light, proving what is acceptable to the Lord…

We don’t just walk however, wherever, whenever we want and expect God to be pleased with it.

Walk like His child… How? By proving what is acceptable to the Lord…

Prove: to try, test, establish as truth, examine

Question: “Is everything I do, say, wear and think acceptable to the Lord?”

Acceptable: Pleasing to the receiver

Proverbs 3:5–6 (KJV 1900)

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;

And lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him,

And he shall direct thy paths.

Psalm 37:23 (KJV 1900)

23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord:

And he delighteth in his way.

To examine the path:

you need the right roadmap (The Bible)

You need to take diligent heed to observe all that is written in it

Joshua 23:6 (KJV 1900)

6 Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;

1. Examine the Path

2. Stay on the Path (don’t get sidetracked)

Ephesians 5:11 (KJV 1900)

11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

Reprove: to make manifest

Call out the darkness…

A surgeon cannot operate in the darkness

An artist cannot paint in the darkness

A Christian cannot walk with God in the darkness either

1 John 1:4–10 (KJV 1900)

4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. 5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

2 Timothy 2:4 (KJV 1900)

4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

Hebrews 12:1–2 (KJV 1900)

1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

To stay on the path:

Put aside the distractions and focus on the path

Place yourself in the light no matter how painful it is sometimes on our eyes

3. Seek Light when you stray from the path

When you are in need of search and rescue… you don’t hide from them.

You make yourself and everything about your existence as known as you possibly can…

You want them to find where you camp… you want them to find where you get water… you want them to find any and every bit of evidence of your existence and leave nothing hidden from their sight…

It’s like when I go to the airport and go through TSA…

I’m not nervous when I go through TSA that they are going to find a bomb in my luggage or on my person…

Why? Because I’m not carrying a bomb!

The same is true in our Christian lives…

I’m not afraid of examination from the Light (preaching, teaching, God’s Word, etc.) if I’m not walking in darkness!

In fact, I am thankful for the thorough examination because I don’t want them to miss bombs or weapons on other people!

Note: If I’m carrying or hiding something I shouldn’t, I’ll want the examination and out of the light to get over as soon as possible. I’ll sweat and worry my way through it…

Someone asked C.H. Spurgeon if they could write a story on his life and his reply was, “You may write my life in the skies - I have nothing to hide!”

Several have told me, “I’ll come back to church once I get my life straightened out.”

You don’t get out of the darkness by using more darkness… you need LIGHT!

When you stray from the path, seek the Light… Don’t go away from it into more darkness…

Psalm 119:105 (KJV 1900)

105 NUN.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet,

And a light unto my path.

Proverbs 16:9 (KJV 1900)

9 A man’s heart deviseth his way:

But the Lord directeth his steps.

John 12:46 (KJV 1900)

46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

Jesus is a revealer of darkness since he is Light

John 15:22 (KJV 1900)

22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.

Context: Jesus telling His apostles, “they will hate you because they hated me first.” Why? Because Jesus (the Light) made manifest their sin and they didn’t like it…

To seek light when you stray from the path:

You need more church, not less

You need more Bible time, not less

You need more Biblical council, not less

4. Provide Light for Others While You are on the Right Path

Matthew 5:14–16 (KJV 1900)

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

A good light bearer doesn’t hide their light for themselves…

They put it out there and help others find their way back to the right path… Back to the Light…

Let me talk to: Parents who are on the right path, but have children who have strayed from the path…

KEEP THE LIGHT ON…

When the prodigal son finally decided the wicked living of the world wasn’t worth it and wanted to come back to Father…

He said, Luke 15:18-24

Luke 15:18–24 (KJV 1900)

18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

Leave the light on…

Give them something to come back to…

Give them some light for them to see and find their way out of the darkness…

Don’t fall into darkness yourself…

How to walk in all His ways?

Examine the Path (prove what is acceptable to the Lord)

Stay on the Path (Don’t get sidetracked with distractions)

Seek Light when you stray from the path

Provide light for others while you are on the right path