Sermon-Discovering the Path

Discovering the Paths

Pilgrim’s Progress

A “path”  is equivalent to “road” in modern language.  Moderns use the word path to describe

          The course and direction of one’s life

          The course and direction of one’s carreer

          “How do I know the will of God for my life?”

Perhaps the number one reason that believers in the Lord Jesus Christ want to hear from Him is this:  We have come up against a difficult situation in our lives and we need direction.

          You’ve probably been there -  “Lord, I don’t know which way to turn, or which way to go. \

Twice stated in the book of the Proverbs:  there is a way that seems right

Prov 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

6     in all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make your paths straight.a

After all the number one purpose for the Shepherd’s voice is that the sheep would “go in and out and find pasture”  (John 10)  the Lord Jesus wants us to find the answers to our needs.  He, no doubt, is more interested in that than we may be.         `                                                                                                                                               Discovering the paths where Christ leads are important:

                   Save time   

                   Save energy

                   Save the frustration of trial and error

They are the paths of

          Peace

          Righteousness

Some look for a sign – not unusual –

          Gideon did it,

          Jewish folk in the earthly ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ did it,

          The Disciples did it  what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the               age?”

So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.”

Trust 1a2 to have confidence, be confident, “be unconcerned.”

 One can be unconcerned if one does not know the circumstances.  But to know the circumstances as they are and still be unconcerned because one’s trust is in God is quite another matter.

1956, April 3, is a day that will live in my memory.  Late in the afternoon of an unusually hot spring day we were getting ready for supper when someone yelled, “Look, it’s a tornado!”  All in our family rushed out of the house and onto the lawn. Sure enough there was a tornado, thick and black and it appeared that it was coming right at us.    (Just last year, the 50th anniversary of that destructive storm, the weather man on one of the television stations referred to it as a ‘category 5’ tornado, the worst there is.)   Quickly my dad sent us kids across the street to the neighbors.  They had a basement, we did not.

          The twister veered from us and went northeast where it caused extensive damage to homes and businesses in the Standale area.

          I was 11 years old when this happened.  Not many weeks later a tornado warning was issued for our area.  The warning came over radio about 8 pm and was to last until about 2 in the morning.  My dad sent us all to bed and he stayed up to monitor any news.  I went to bed and fell asleep knowing that my dad was up and watching out for us.  I knew that I did not need to be anxious.  That incident has ever reminded me of Psalm 121; ‘He that watcheth over Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps.  More to the point this image teaches me what trust is.

Lean not

Understanding Choosing a path  A trip to Boone, NC

          A few years ago we drove to North Carolina for a wedding.  My sister’s son was taking a bride in Boone, NC.  Triple A had drawn a route for us.  The weekend came and we drove south on expressways following their directions until we crossed the border from Virginia.  A map of North Carolina suggested to me that if we left the expressway and followed Route 221 we could cut off about 30 miles and slice a chunk from our travel time.  So that’s what we did.  Mistake!!!  Highway 221 was twisty and windy through the mountains and it was dark and rainy. It was unpleasant travel bordering on desperate.  The brakes on the rented car began to smoke from going down hill and around so many curves.  The road was sparsely populated and much of the time we had no idea where we were.

I leaned to my own understanding!

Acknowledge  1916 God’s Way is Best

0-6933 The God Who Is Enough

’Tis far, far better to let Him choose

The way that we should take;

If only we leave our lives to Him

He will guide without mistake

We, in our blindness, would never choose

A pathway dark and rough,

And so we should ever find in Him,

“The God Who Is Enough.”

[1]

Collection of sayings that have the stamp of approval of the Holy Spirit

Conclusion:

If you are a son after the flesh, I request that you stand and hear the clear word of God

----

a Or will direct your paths

[1]Tan, P. L. (1996, c1979). Encyclopedia of 7700 illustrations : A treasury of illustrations, anecdotes, facts and quotations for pastors, teachers and Christian workers. Garland TX: Bible Communications.