Climb A High Mountain

INTRO.- Mountain top experiences are rare but they do happen.

ILL.- Carrie Underwood won the “American Idol” in 2005 and this year, Monday, Nov. 6th, she won the Female Vocalist of the Year award at the Country Music awards. She also won the Horizon award, which the best new artist. She said was very emotional and said, “Oh my….Two years ago I was sitting at home watching these very awards, watching all these other people win and have the best nights of their lives, and this is the best night of my life.”

Carrie Underwood’s album (“SOME HEARTS”) has sold nearly four million copies and three of her singles have appeared not only on the country charts, but also on the pop charts. SHE IS ON A ROLL AND ON A HIGH!

What about you? What was one of your mountain top experiences in life? Marriage? Children? Some grand vacation? A trip to Hawaii? Your relationship to Christ?

So-called mountain top experiences come in all shapes and sizes. What is exciting to you may not be exciting to me and vice versa. One thing, however, that seems to excite all people is food or an outstanding meal, like Thanksgiving. Was yours a mountain top experience coming from a mountain of food?

ILL.- I have a friend in southern IL who wrote me recently about an evening meal that he and his wife had at a Red Lobster. He wrote, “We went to Red Lobster.....Lota had lobster tail and baked potato.... I had 2 big fried filets of Walleye, baked potato and vegetables....Appetizer was coconut shrimp and biscuits…2 big cokes…mmm good.”

I wrote back and asked, “What did it cost you? About $30?” (This just shows how little I know about eating out and Red Lobster.) He said, “You are dreaming.” He said it was $70, which included a $10 tip.

All I can say is, IT BETTER BE GOOD FOR THAT PRICE!

Food or a good meal is a high to most people. The only problem is that high, like many, doesn’t stay with you. But what we all need to be interested in is a spiritual high that carries eternal weight.

ILL.- I remember in a church one night when I baptized a young couple who were probably in their early 30’s. Afterward, the husband remarked, “Thank you for a delightful evening.” Now that was a different remark after being baptized but I thought it was very nice.

I think they both considered that night to be a “high” in their spiritual lives. And our baptism should be. DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR BAPTISM? Buried with Christ and raised to newness of life. Wasn’t that a high for you?

In our text, Peter, James and John literally experienced a mountain top event. It wasn’t their baptism, but something far better. We may not be able to go to a mountain top with Jesus but we can experience a greater high than we might imagine.

PROP.- Let’s about how we can experience a greater spiritual high with Jesus.

1- We must let Him lead us

2- We must see Him as He is

3- We must listen closely to Him

I. WE MUST LET HIM LEAD US

Matt. 17:1 “After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.”

ILL.- You’ve heard the old saying, “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.” I guess that’s true for horses and humans. You can’t force people to do what they really don’t want to do.

Leading. This is such a simple thought but an important lesson. Are we willing to let Jesus lead us where He wants? Are we willing to let Him lead us to a higher level of living and service?

ILL.- It was said that when David Livingstone was sent as a student to preach at Sanford Rivers, he stood up in the pulpit and completely forgot what he was going to say. Although this incident would have signaled the end of public speaking for many, Livingstone knew he must not give up. When God called him to be a missionary, he was ready to go. Later he wrote, "I am still a very poor preacher and have a bad delivery; and some say that if they knew I was to preach, they would not enter the chapel."

Even though David Livingstone considered himself to be a poor preacher he was still very open to God’s leading.

ILL.- Preacher/Dr. George Robinson, who for forty-one years was professor of Hebrew and Old Testament at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, said, “When I was a youth, I used to say, ‘I’ll go wherever the Lord calls me, but not to Chicago.’”

He said, “McCormick wrote me, wanting me to come and after two-and-one-half years, I went. There were no strings attached to my going where God wanted me to go, and I’ve been thankful ever since!”