Do you know..Where you're Going?
Ask most anyone that question..and the response will be,
absolutely..and I know how to get there too!
Everyone likes to think that they have some sense of direction
and almost anyone you would ask,
They Would like to think that their going in the right direction,
even when their heading down the path in the wrong direction!
It's true! Almost everyone has said these words
on one occasion or another..Including myself
How in the world did I get here?
Our will, our internal compass, our desire...our whatever it is
that you want to call it, is and can be very strong
It is so powerful..sometimes to the point,
It blurs our vision..it can even blur our reality!
Any one with an addiction will tell you it's true..
It affects everyone in life..there is no one left out!
Okay..now that we've established that everyone
here today is affected in one way or another,
Here's the question again..
Do you know where your going?
I believe there our three categories, three different
types of personalities.. that can be applied to that question
1.Those that think they know where their going,
2.Those that say they know where their going,
3. and Those that know where their going.
We find the first example in the book of Jonah
Jonah 1:1-3 MSG
1 1-2 One day long ago, God’s Word came to Jonah, Amittai’s son: “Up on your feet and on your way to the big city of Nineveh! Preach to them. They’re in a bad way and I can’t ignore it any longer.”
3 But Jonah got up and went the other direction to Tarshish, running away from God. He went down to the port of Joppa and found a ship headed for Tarshish. He paid the fare and went on board, joining those going to Tarshish—as far away from God as he could get.
God has had a plan for each and every one of us,
Even before we were in existence..God has had a plan for us
That's how important you are to God, you are important
enough, that God took the time out of His schedule
and made a plan..completely tailored, a one of a kind plan..
just for you
Psalms 139:13-16 MSG
13-16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother’s womb.
I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I’d even lived one day.
If that doesn't let you know how interested God is in you..
I don't know what would!
God had a plan for Jonah,
But Jonah wasn't interested in that plan..
He thought he had a better plan,
Even though he went the opposite way God had instructed him to..
he thought he knew where he was going..
Matter a fact, if you would have ask him how it was going..
Right up until things started going south..
He probably would have said pretty good..
In fact at that point, he was sleeping like a baby..
In the bottom of the ship..
Let's read on
Jonah 1:4-7, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17 MSG
4-6 But God sent a huge storm at sea, the waves towering.
The ship was about to break into pieces. The sailors were terrified. They called out in desperation to their gods. They threw everything they were carrying overboard to lighten the ship. Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down into the hold of the ship to take a nap. He was sound asleep. The captain came to him and said, “What’s this? Sleeping! Get up! Pray to your god! Maybe your god will see we’re in trouble and rescue us.”
7 Then the sailors said to one another, “Let’s get to the bottom of this. Let’s draw straws to identify the culprit on this ship who’s responsible for this disaster.”
So they drew straws. Jonah got the short straw.
Sometimes our plan altering, comes at great expense to others..
TBS(the bible says)
They threw everything they were carrying overboard to lighten the ship.
Sometimes when we think we know where we're going..
Others pay a great price, to get us there!
But most times when we think we know where going..
We end up paying the greatest cost!
12 Jonah said, “Throw me overboard, into the sea. Then the storm will stop. It’s all my fault. I’m the cause of the storm. Get rid of me and you’ll get rid of the storm.”
14 Then they prayed to God, “O God! Don’t let us drown because of this man’s life, and don’t blame us for his death. You are God. Do what you think is best.”
15 They took Jonah and threw him overboard. Immediately the sea was quieted down.
16 The sailors were impressed, no longer terrified by the sea, but in awe of God. They worshiped God, offered a sacrifice, and made vows.
17 Then God assigned a huge fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah was in the fish’s belly three days and nights.
Even those sailors, who had no idea who God was..
After they saw His Mighty Hand and the Power
Of what He was capable of..had enough sense to
change their plans.. amen?
They said: You are God. Do what you think is best.”
You would have thought Jonah would have said the same.
In fact he could have repented right then and said ok
Lord..I'll go where you ask me to go..
and stopped the storm..
Talk about a stubborn streak a mile wide..
TBS he went on to spend three days,
Can you even imagine? Three days in a fishes belly?
The outside of a fish is disgusting enough..
I can't even fathom what the inside would be like!
You would have thought Jonah's immediate reaction
at that point would have been..
Okay Lord.. Now you win..I Give up..
You are God. Do what you think is best.”
What I think isn't important..
Three days later..he finally came to that conclusion!
While some may say three days is a long time for Jonah,
To be in that situation..
I tell you, some people have been running the wrong direction
all their lives from God..still thinking they know where their going.
What is everyone's standard answer when you ask them how things are going?
Oh..fine, let me tell you..things are not always fine..
sometimes things need to change and we need to be
honest with our selves and others
Jonah turned his direction around and was able to accomplish
Amazing things for The Lord..
the whole city of Nineveh was spared from Gods wrath..
No matter where your headed..
God can turn your situation around too!
God is not a respecter of persons..anyone can do
Amazing things, when they realize Gods plan in their life!
Our second example is:
Those that say they know where their going,
When I think of this category, I can't help but to think
About the Apostle Paul formerly known as Saul,
in religious circles, everyone knew him
He was a Pharisee, he had studied religion all of his life
If anyone would have thought to have been qualified to say..
That thought they knew where they were going,
It would've been him!
After all, he was busy doing the Lords work wasn't he?
...Or was he?
Just because we are confident and say we
Know where we are going in our walk through life
Doesn't mean it's the right way! Amen?
Acts 9:1-6, 11-19 MSG
9 1-2 All this time Saul was breathing down the necks of the Master’s disciples, out for the kill. He went to the Chief Priest and got arrest warrants to take to the meeting places in Damascus so that if he found anyone there belonging to the Way, whether men or women, he could arrest them and bring them to Jerusalem.
3-4 He set off. When he got to the outskirts of Damascus, he was suddenly dazed by a blinding flash of light. As he fell to the ground, he heard a voice: “Saul, Saul, why are you out to get me?”
5-6 He said, “Who are you, Master?”
“I am Jesus, the One you’re hunting down. I want you to get up and enter the city. In the city you’ll be told what to do next.”
You see, he thought he was carrying out Gods plan
For his life!
What he found out was, what he had been taught
and what he had been saying..
Wasn't Gods plan for his life at all!
He was about to find out firsthand..
It wasn't about religion any longer
It was about a relationship and this was his innerduction!
He was instructed to go to Damascus and there
he would find a man named Ananias,
who would help him make sense of it all!
This man who said.."He Knew" where he was going..
Was suddenly blinded and being led every step of the way
By someone else.
11-12 “Get up and go over to Straight Avenue. Ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus. His name is Saul. He’s there praying. He has just had a dream in which he saw a man named Ananias enter the house and lay hands on him so he could see again.”
13-14 Ananias protested, “Master, you can’t be serious. Everybody’s talking about this man and the terrible things he’s been doing, his reign of terror against your people in Jerusalem! And now he’s shown up here with papers from the Chief Priest that give him license to do the same to us.”
15-16 But the Master said, “Don’t argue. Go! I have picked him as my personal representative to non-Jews and kings and Jews. And now I’m about to show him what he’s in for—the hard suffering that goes with this job.”
17-19 So Ananias went and found the house, placed his hands on blind Saul, and said, “Brother Saul, the Master sent me, the same Jesus you saw on your way here. He sent me so you could see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” No sooner were the words out of his mouth than something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes—he could see again! He got to his feet, was baptized, and sat down with them to a hearty meal.
Illus. Paul Hovey once said: "A Blind man’s world is bound by the limits of his touch; an ignorant man’s world is bound by the limits of his knowledge; a great man’s world is bound by the limits of his vision."
Paul's vision and his sense of direction had never been better..
Only he had a new compass..
He was filled with the Holy Spirit..
No longer would he say..he knew where he was going
But he could say with confidence..he knew
The journey would be amazing..
Because he knew the One who was going guide
him every step of the way..until he reached his destination!
And what amazing things he did for the kingdom..
When he embraced Gods plan for his life! Amen?
The third example I want to share today is..
Those who know where they are going.
Do they really know where their going?
Well..nobody knows the future except for God
So therefore no one can really know
what tomorrow holds for them.
But what they do know..
Is the one who holds tomorrow! Amen!
They know and cultivate their relationship
With God each and everyday!
David was such a man..
From his youth till his last breathe..he knew God
139 1-6 MSG
God, investigate my life;
get all the facts firsthand.
I’m an open book to you;
even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking.
You know when I leave and when I get back;
I’m never out of your sight.
You know everything I’m going to say
before I start the first sentence.
I look behind me and you’re there,
then up ahead and you’re there, too—
your reassuring presence, coming and going.
This is too much, too wonderful—
I can’t take it all in!
He knew,
Whether he was a Shepard tending his fathers flock,
Or facing a giant on the battle field,
Or leading the whole Nation of Israel
It didn't matter what happened..
God would see him safely through any situation
He knew where he was going..
Because he put his faith in Gods plan for his life
And he knew if God knew where he was going..
That's all that mattered!
John 14:27 NKJ
27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
He knew the peace that passes all understanding..
The same peace that's available to you and I still today! Amen?
Illus.
In his book "Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life", the author Charles Swindoll tells a story about the 19th Century agnostic Thomas Huxley (some of you might know that it was Huxley who promoted Darwinism and Humanism in his attacks on Christianity).
Huxley was in Dublin and was rushing to catch a train and He climbed aboard one of Dublin’s famous horse drawn taxis and said to the driver -"Hurry, I’m almost late ... drive fast".
Off they went at a furious pace and Huxley sat back in his seat and closed his eyes.
After a while Huxley opened his eyes and glanced out the window to notice that they were going in the wrong direction.
Realizing that he hadn’t told the driver where to take him he called out ‘do you know where you're going?’ The driver replied "No, your honour, but I am driving very fast’.
Do you know where you're going today?
Do you know the peace of God..
That will see you safely through,
No matter where you go in your life?
You can!
You can step out in faith
and start doing amazing things in your life!
You mean like, Billy Graham? Yep!
Like Joel Osteen? Uh huh!
Like Kenneth and Gloria Copeland and all great
men and women of faith?
Amen...Now your getting the picture!
But..they seem to know so much?
What they know is God, through a
relationship with His Amazing Son Jesus and
they have Gods gift of the Holy Spirit, living in them
and guiding them all along the way
And He will do the same for you!
Because it's all part of His plan for your life!
Jerm. 29:11 NASB
11 For I know the plans that I [h]have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.
And so I ask you one last time
Do you know where your going?
You can know today
God will show you the way..every step of the way
Until you reach your destination in Glory!
Amen, let's pray!
