Keep On Walking

Sunday Morning, August 3, 2003

Title: Keep On Walkin’

Text: Amos 3:3, 1 John 1:6-7

Introduction

Walking is good for your health.

Studies show that walking can:

Reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke

Lower blood pressure

Reduce high cholesterol and improve blood lipid profile

Reduce body fat

Enhance mental well being

Increase bone density, hence helping to prevent osteoporosis

Reduce the risk of cancer of the colon

Reduce the risk of non insulin dependant diabetes

Help to control body weight

Help osteoarthritis

Help flexibility and co-ordination hence reducing the risk of falls

(Sources: Davison & Grant 1993, US Dept of Health 1996, British Heart Foundation 2000)

I could get in the van and drive to the office each day (I only live about 300 feet away!)...

and there’s been times I wished I had one of the golf carts they ride around in the villages...

but I realize that I don’t get enough exercise as it is...

so if I can walk a little bit each day...

so much the better.

When 2 people walk together...

there seems to be an unwritten rule...

we keep a certain distance apart from each other...

if we are too close...you might feel like your space is invaded....

if we are too far apart...well, it doesn’t seem right.

There also seems to be some unspoken advice on which way to go...

are we going to walk on this side of the street, or the other?

are we going to go around the tree on this side, or the other?

are we going to wait for that car, or run across fast?

some of this may be communicated orally...

but other times...we just seem to know which way to go.

and we keep that distance...not too close...not too far apart.

Walking is not only good for your PHYSICAL health...

walking can be good for your SPIRITUAL health!

Let’s look at our text

Read Text: Amos 3:3, 1 John 1:6-7

1. Keep on walkin’...we need to walk where God wants us to.

When we walk with God, there’s shouldn’t be that "give and take" on which way to go.

We follow God’s direction...

not the other way around.

Gen 5:22 says, "Enoch walked with God 300 years"

Now, obviously, Enoch didn’t literally go hiking side by side with God for 300 years...

(although that would be quite a hike!!)

But Enoch walked where God wanted him to.

Hebrews 11:5 says, "By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God"

Enoch pleased God!!

He did what God wanted him to do.

He walked where God wanted him to.

Amos 3:3 says, "Do two walk together

unless they have agreed to do so?

We choose to walk God’s direction...

not the other way around!

1 John 2:6 says "Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did."

In order to be SPIRITUALLY healthy, we must walk with Jesus....

we must agree with Jesus....

we must identify with Him...

follow Him...

use Him as our example...

our model.

Scripture gives us numerous ways that we can walk in agreement with God:

2 Corinthians 5:7 says, "walk by faith, not by sight" 2 Cor 5:7 (NASB77)

we talked about this Wednesday Evening...

Archeological evidence of Jesus is pretty exciting, (if it is legitimate)...

but, as Christians, we don’t need that kind of thing to walk with God....

because we walk IN FAITH!!

Micah 6:8 says, "He has showed you, O man, what is good.

And what does the LORD require of you? ...to walk humbly with your God."Micah 6:8 (NIV)

We WALK with God....

We don’t STRUT around like a peacock!

"Hey everybody...look at me....I’m a Christian!!!

Look at my fancy suit!

Look at my Jesus sticker!

Look at my sanctified halo!

No, we walk humbly with God...

we are in awe, just being in His presence!

Galatians 5:16 says, "walk by the Spirit" Gal 5:16 (NASB)

This verse makes it obvious that it isn’t by our own power...

it is by the power of the Holy Spirit!

Ephesians 5:2 says, "walk in love" Eph 5:2 (NASB)

This is a biggie!

What is our attitude?

Do we love...as Jesus loved?

How do we treat our fellow Christians?

How do we talk about them when they are right there?

How do we treat sinners?

Do we love them?

Or are we filled with hate and judgment?

Romans 6:4 says, "walk in newness of life" Romans 6:4 (NASB)

When we get saved...do we walk the same paths that we did before?

Do we live the same kind of life?

Or are we different?

Are walking a new road?