8.10.08.Sermon
By William Akehurst, HSWC
THREE TOOLS
3 Tools to Godly Principles for life
When we drive along the roadway, we have lines to guide our vehicle. Guardrails to keep us from going over, and Dashboard Gauges to make sure the engine is running smoothly. The Bible is our Roadmap, to set guidelines that we might guard and gauge ourselves by.
Driving along the roads of PA, there was road work going on. I realized while they were working on the shoulder area, they had taken down the steel rails along the roadway. But what was interesting was that they had signs up
that said: ’No Guide Rail’
Now unless I’m driving a pinball, I would think they would call it a guard rail. Although I was told, it is a more positive spin saying guide rail rather than guard rail.
When you think of guard rails, you think of them as something to keep your vehicle from going off the roadway.
The next thing I noticed while driving this particular roadway was that there were no lines on the road. Now if I had to call them something, I would call them guidelines. Not guard lines.
On the road, we need these lines to guide us down the road. And in the event we get off the roadway, it’s the guard rails that keep us from going over the cliff.
When we drive, its these guidelines and guard rails that we use to gauge where we are on the road.
Similarly, the bible is our roadmap. It has guidelines, guardrails and a path that leads us to salvation through Jesus Christ and eternal life with our Creator.
From John Maxwell’s Leadership Bible on the passage of Proverbs 4:20-27
Guide, Guard, Gauge.
He says that these are Principles that build character, direct our decisions, correct our lifestyles.
It is our need to Consume God’s Word, then put the truths you discover in the form of principles that can guide, guard, and gauge your life.
Lets see what the word says about guides in our lives
GUIDES
Guide – to stay on the right path.
Psalm 119:105
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
If the word is what lights our way, leading us in the right path.
Therefore, it is the word that keeps us and guides us.
Psalm 119:11
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
The Lord says to us in
Psalm 32:8
I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
In Psalm 31:3 David tells us
For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.
Psalm 48:14
For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.
We need to understand how important the WORD of GOD is. It is our Instruction, and Guide book.
2 Timothy 3:16
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
IF you have ever taken a hike, perhaps you took a map. As a teenager, my brothers and I would hike the Appalachian Trail, the AT. We would take trail guides to see the terrain, to know where the hills or slopes were. To see where we were as we traveled along this trail. It showed us where to find fresh water to refill our canteens, and where the shelters were to spend the night.
Along the path, the trees would have paint stripes on them at intervals. A white blaze meant you were on the trail.
Two white blazes meant a turn. A blue blaze would take you off to some feature, such as a fire tower, an overlook or some special retreat area.
All these were great guides to the trail we hiked.
As with any trail, a guide shows you were to walk.
The bible, as our trail guide also shows us where, how, and when to walk.
Truth
Psalm 86:11
Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.
In His Ways
Psalm 128:1
Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways.
In Integrity
Proverbs 20:7
The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.
In Spirit
Galatians 5:16
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
In Love
Ephesians 5:2
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
To Walk Cautiously
Ephesians 5:15
See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
In Wisdom
Colossians 4:5
Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
Worthy of God
1 Thessalonians 2:12
That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.
In the Light
1 John 1:7
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.
As with the guard rail along the road, we must also watch what we are doing. To guard is to keep protected, to watch, to beware
GUARD
Guard
We must guard our hearts
Proverbs 4:23
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
God too, will guard not only our hearts, but our minds
Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
We must beware to not stray, or forget. Deut 6 tells us to Love the LORD with all our hearts, minds and strength.
And to keep this in the forefront of our eyes, lest we forget.
Deuteronomy 8:11
Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:
Beware of falsehood
Matthew 7:15
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Guard ourselves, keeping ourselves to be found blameless, without fault
2 Peter 3:14-18 (vs 17)
14Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
15And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
16As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
17Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
18But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
Walk in HIM, Rooted, built and established. Beware of wrongful thinking
Colossians 2:6-8
6As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
7Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
8Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
The dashboard of my truck is full of gauges. Fuel, Temperature, Battery, Transmission, Speed, Etc. Etc. As we drive we keep an eye on these gauges to make sure everything is working right. And when we see the needle in the fuel come close to E, we know we must fuel up again to continue on our way.
All the while that we are on the path that leads to Christ, we must examine ourselves as to how we stack up to the guidelines and guard rails. Are we in the right place? We must GAUGE ourselves.
GAUGE
Gauge: To evaluate where we are. To Examine, Test, Prove, Search within
Psalm 26:2
Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.
TEST ourselves in the faith.
2 Corinthians 13:5-9 (Vs 5)
5Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test?
6But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test.
7Now we pray to God that you do no wrong; not that we ourselves may appear approved, but that you may do what is right, even though we may appear unapproved.
8For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth.
9For we rejoice when we ourselves are weak but you are strong; this we also pray for, that you be made complete.
Exodus 20:20
20Moses said to the people, "(A)Do not be afraid; for God has come in order (B)to test you, and in order that (C)the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin."
Galatians 6:4
But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
Psalm 139:1
O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.
Psalm 139:23
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
John 5:39
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
Galatians 6:3-5
3For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
4But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
5For every man shall bear his own burden.
1 Thessalonians 5:21-23
21Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
22Abstain from all appearance of evil.
23And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
By taking in the WORD of GOD, we take in CHRIST.
By taking in CHRIST, we take in the mind of Christ
By taking in the mind of CHRIST, we take in the way He taught us to live.
On the right path. Within the lines. Guarding ourselves against the things that would cause us to stray.
CLOSING AND PRAYER
* * *
SONG: I’M USING MY BIBLE FOR A ROADMAP
HELPFUL NOTES-BASIC OUTLINE:
Principles that build character, direct our decisions, correct our lifestyles.
Consume God’s Word, then put the truths you discover in the form of principles that can guide, guard, and gauge
your life.
PROVERBS 4:20-27
GUIDE – Stay on the Right Path
Psalm 119:105; Psalm 32:8; Psalm 31:3; Psalm 32:8; Psalm 48:14; Psalm 119:11; 2 Timothy 3:16; Psalm 86:11;
Psalm 128:1; Proverbs 20:7; Galatians 5:16; Ephesians 5:2; Ephesians 5:15; Colossians 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 2:12; 1 John 1:7
GUARD – Keep protected, Watch, Beware
Proverbs 4:23; Philippians 4:7; Deuteronomy 8:11; Matthew 7:15; 2 Peter 3:14-18; Colossians 2:6-8
GAUGE – Evaluate where you are
Psalm 26:2; 2 Corinthians 13:5-9; Exodus 20:20; Galatians 6:4; Psalm 139:1; Psalm 139:23; John 5:39; Galatians 6:3-5; 1 Thessalonians 5:21-23
SONG: I’M USING MY BIBLE FOR A ROADMAP
(Don Reno / Charles Schroder
Porter Wagoner
Also recorded by:
Bad Livers; The Country Gentlemen; Ernie Cox; The Four Internes;
Melvin Goins; The Lewis Family; Al Perkins; Reno & Smiley;
Sand Mountain; Josh Williams; Mac Wiseman.
There’ll be no detours in heaven
No rough roads along the way
I’m using my Bible for a roadmap
My last stop is heaven some sweet day
I’m using my Bible for a roadmap
The Ten Commandments they tell me what to do
The twelve disciples are my road signs
And Jesus will take me safely through
There’ll be no detours in heaven
No rough roads along the way
I’m using my Bible for a roadmap
My last stop is heaven some sweet day
I’m using my Bible for a roadmap
The children of Israel used it too
They crossed the Red Sea of destruction
For God was there to see them through
There’ll be no detours in heaven
No rough roads along the way
I’m using my Bible for a roadmap
My last stop is heaven some sweet day
