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?
Are we going in a new direction?
If we are going to walk with Jesus...we walk in a new life!
3 John 3 says, "walking in truth" 3 John 1:3 (NASB)
When we walk with Christ...does that have an impact on our words?
We cannot continue to be deceitful when we walk along in agreement with Christ.
We cannot lie...(not even "little white lies")
we cannot mislead...
we cannot....we walk in truth
Did you know that Truth is a Person?
Jesus said, "I am the Way...the Truth...and the Life" John 14:6 ....
Jesus IS TRUTH!! (Capital T)
So we can walk in truth...
and we can walk in Truth!
That should make us think twice about using our words to deceive!
1 Kings 2:3-4 says, Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands 1 Kings 2:3 (NIV)
How do we know God’s ways...decrees...and commands?
By reading His book!!
By listening to His voice!
By doing what He says!
The song says, "I’ll go where you want me to go dear Lord" (Mary Brown)
2. Keep on walkin’...we must be very careful about walking away from the direction that God wants us to.
Jesus will not walk with us if we are going to walk into sin.
If we choose to walk into sin...
or walking away from the direction that God wants us to go...
we can get into trouble.
In Numbers 22, When Balaam was going in a direction that God didn’t want him to go...
He sent an angel with a flaming sword to block the way...
Balaam didn’t see the angel...
but his donkey did...
and so Balaam beat his donkey...
until his donkey told him to cut it out!!
As long as Samson walked with God...everything went fine....
but when he disobeyed God...
when he got cocky...
he lost his strength...
Jesus may deal with us in similar ways...
I am certain that there are times in my life when I was about to do something contrary to God’s will...
and He sent an angel to block my path!
No...I didn’t see the angel...
and no, I wasn’t riding a donkey...
but now that I look back on it...
I don’t see any other explanation for why I was unable to continue on the path that I was going...
I was sure trying...
but something seemed to be blocking my progress.
There are times in my life where I disobeyed God...
and I lost my strength...
no, my muscles remained the same...
but my spiritual strength faltered...
and I failed....
because I got cocky
and tried to walk the way I wanted to walk.
3. Keep on Walkin’....There are other benefits to walking with the Lord!!
There certainly are PHYSICAL benefits to walking...
and there are certainly SPIRITUAL benefits to walking with the Lord...
because of how it enhances our relationship to the Lord...
But there are other benefits too!
When we walk with God...
it pleases God...
and when we please God...
He blesses us!
In Genesis 17:1, God told Abraham, "walk before me and be blameless" Gen 17:1 (NIV)
And God promised to bless him through his descendants.
When we walk with Christ...He will bless us in THIS life!!
He will bless us personally...
and He may even bless us through our children!
But there is an even greater benefit!
Rev 3:4 says, "They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy Rev 3:4 (NIV)
Walking with Jesus here in this life...
allows us the opportunity of a life time (literally) to walk with Jesus in the life to come!
Conclusion
Walking sure is healthy!
It helps your heart...
your weight...
and other physical problems...
Walking with Jesus sure is healthy!!
It helps us to be spiritually healthy in our daily walk with the Lord...
and it helps us to be spiritually ready...
so we can one day in heaven...LITERALLY walk with Jesus...
side by side...
step by step...
walking with our Savior
Are you walking in the light?
If not, you can start a walking program today!!!
And it is better than any Mall walking program!!
because the benefits are eternal!
Close with #620 "Stepping in the Light"
(Idea for this sermon came from an outline I saw in Pulpit Helps magazine, August 2003, p. 28, outline by Charles E. Harrel)
