Determining Your Path
Text: Psa. 16:11
"Thou wilt make known to me the path of life; In thy presence is fulness of joy; In thy right hand there are pleasures forever."
Introduction:
Today on this first Sunday of the year 2002, we stand facing the journey of the uncharted, not yet traveled road of Life before us. It is not a question of whether or not we shall make the journey but one of what course we will choose to travel.
Every road will have it’s twists and turns. Every path it’s unseen dangers and unexpected surprises. Each course once initiated will bring the traveller to it’s ultimate destination. And the question for each of us today is what course will our lives navigate this coming year.
I. THOU WILT MAKE KNOWN TO ME THE PATH OF LIFE
There is an old saying that says, "All roads lead to Rome" and some have mistakenly thought that this principle also applies to Spiritual destinations. They have mistakenly thought that "all paths lead to God." But this is not what the scriptures teach. The scripture clearly teaches that way to God is singular, that the pathway of life and righteousness is but one.
(John 14:6)
I am the way the truth and the life, no man comes to the father but through me
(John 10:9)
I am the door, if any man enters through Me he shall be saved…
- God clearly offers us the pathway of life through His Son Jesus Christ and you cannot begin the journey if you do come to Christ (expand to reach the unbeliever)
Thou wilt make known to me the path of Life
A. God Wants to Direct and Guide Our Life
- God is not obscure, aloof,
- He is not indifferent or unresponsive
- The psalmist clearly states "Thou wilt make know to me…"
B. The Question Is Do We Want To Know His Direction For Our Lives
- There are many paths that lie before each of us
- How will you know which path you should choose and take
- What will be the criteria by which you determine the course of your life
- For some it will be:
a) Does it feel good,
b) Will it bring me prosperity or financial benefit
c) Will it bring me recognition
d) Will it make me happy
e) Will my friends or family approve
- The bible clearly teaches us what happens when man tries to determine his own course of life
Prov. 14:12; 16:25 state:
"There is a way which seems right to a man, but the end is the way of death."
C. God Wants to Reveal His Will - His Direction For Our Lives
- In fact God has gone to great lengths to clearly reveal His divine will for us
Heb. 1:1,2 tells us that:
"1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;"
- God has gone to great lengths to reveal His divine plan and purpose for our lives, but all too often we have chosen our own paths
Isaiah 53:6 says:
"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way"
- even at that though God still tries to reveal His path for our lives for in the very same verse it goes on to say…
"...and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."
D. God’s Word is His Divine Will for Our Lives
- His Word will make Know the Path of Life
- There is no great mystery about knowing the will of God
- The problem is that even though God speaks clearly, we often think we know better!
- Allow me to illustrate with a story about a sailor
Charting His Course for Us
An old sailor repeatedly got lost at sea, so his friends gave him a compass and urged him to use it. The next time he went out in his boat, he followed their advice and took the compass with him. But as usual he became hopelessly confused and was unable to find land. Finally he was rescued by his friends.
Disgusted and impatient with him, they asked, "Why didn’t you use that compass we gave you? You could have saved us a lot of trouble!"
The sailor responded, "I didn’t dare to! I wanted to go north, but as hard as I tried to make the needle aim in that direction, it just kept on pointing southeast."
That old sailor was so certain he knew which way was north that he stubbornly tried to force his own personal persuasion on his compass. Unable to do so, he tossed it aside as worthless and failed to benefit from the guidance it offered.
Perhaps you have spent some time in a sailboat. Relying on the boat to keep you afloat, you slide across the water propelled by a gentle breeze. Yet within the confines of the shores, you have the opportunity and responsibility of guiding the rudder to determine the direction of travel.
Is that not similar to living within the will of God? As Christians we must rest upon God to sustain us, and upon the breath of his Spirit to empower us. Yet within his moral boundaries, we each have the opportunity and responsibility to determine our course.
How will you determine your path for this coming year? Will you sail through the uncharted waters of 2002 casting aside the guidance and direction of His Word, opting instead to follow the leanings of your own heart and mind, or will you will you intentional lay hold to the compass of scriptures, knowing that they will bring you on will be the path of life.
What a contrast exists!
Prov.14:12 "There is a way which seems right to a man, but the end is the way of death."
Compared to Psa. 16:11 "Thou wilt make known to me the path of life"
II. THE REWARDS OF WALKING GOD’S PATHWAY
In thy presence is fulness of joy; in they right hand there are pleasures forever
Contrary to what the carnal man may think, (1 Timothy 6:6)
"... godliness with contentment is great gain."
1. First We See The Source Revealed - "In Thy presence"
- Joy and happiness is not to be found in the abundance of the things of this world.
- It can not be found in bigger houses, cars, or bank accounts
- It will not be attained by gaining recognition or moving higher up the corporate ladder
- Man spends much of his time and energy chasing after things only to be left empty and burdened
- What the heart of man seeks and longs for can found only by having a relationship with God.
- God offers us that which brings us life and fulness of Joy - His presence. It was for this we were created. To have fellowship with Him. It was for this Christ came and died that we might be reconciled back to God
- The greatest achievement and blessing you can attain this year is to follow the Path of Life, to live your life in the presence of the Lord, to walk in fellowship with him.
- It doesn’t matter what you will encounter along the journey as long as you have His presence.
- His presence will strengthen you in your times of weakness
- His presence will guide you in the times of indecision
- His presence will comfort you in times of grief and loss
- His presence will assure you in the times of uncertainty
- His presence will empower you in the moment of doubt
2. Next We See Its Abundance Revealed - "there is fulness of Joy"
- Christ said, (John 10:10)
" I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly"
- Ever wonder why it seems as though some Christians only received the first half of that verse.
- They confess to having received newness of life in Christ, but then they go around as though they got short changed in the deal
- Always talking about the cost of serving God, what they gave up and how life is such a struggle just to stay faithful
- The truth is that they haven’t fully understood or grasped what they have received in Christ. Their focus is wrong. They are looking backwards in life at what they have left behind, instead of forward to Christ and what is awaiting them
- God has promised us that by living in fellowship with him through Christ will produce in us fulness of joy!
(Illustrations)
I like the story about 3 prospectors who found a rich vein of gold in California during the gold rush days. They realized what a great discovery they had, & decided, "We’ve a really good thing going here as long as no one else finds out about it." So they each took a vow to keep it secret.
Then they headed for town to file their claims & get the equipment necessary to mine the gold. True to their vows, they didn’t say a word to anybody. They filed their claim, bought the equipment, & headed back to their mine. But when they did, a crowd of people followed them.
And the reason was because the expression on their faces had given them away. Their faces were aglow in anticipation of the wealth that soon would be theirs. People knew that they must have found something very special. So a crowd followed them out of town.
- You see the joy we experience in Christ is nothing like the world has ever known
- It is not based on circumstances but on relationship
- As such we as we live our lives following the Path of Life, we live a life of constant relationship with God through Christ. Our joy is the product of that relationship.
- Our relationship should cause us to look forward and to anticipate with joy all that awaits us in eternity
- Even Jesus refers to our salvation in a similar manner
(Matt. 13:44)
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field."
- And fulness of Joy can not be kept hidden. It can not be contained. It will be seen and recognized for it’s truly great value.
- Try as you might you will never be able to keep it hidden. Even under the most difficult of circumstances it will shine through.
- For you see our Joy does not originate in circumstances but in the relationship we have with God through Christ and as such we recognize that what we have enjoyed thus far in Christ is merely a token of that which awaits us. For…
"...in thy right hand there are pleasures forever"
- That which God offers us through Christ has permanency.
- God says they are pleasures forever
- Some people think God doesn’t want them to enjoy life. That He wants then to give up all pleasure in life and live a dull and dreary existence. (I wonder who gave them that impression)
- It’s just the opposite, God wants us to have a life that is Full of Joy, and the pleasure he desires for us, unlike the pleasure of sin that is but for a season (Heb 11:25 ) are forever
- Vance Havener said it this way "There is something wrong with our Christianity when we have to beg most of our crowd to come to church to hear about it."
- Have you forgotten the joy of your salvation?
