Reaching The Mountain Peak

"Reaching The Mountain Peak"

There are many reasons people go on vacation. Some just to rest, some to just get away from the daily routine, and some go to visit relatives.

Have you ever seen the Vacation series movies?

Terrie calls me Clark Griswald when we go on vacation. I go to see things I can't see at home. I want to see it all.

Going to the top of Pike's Peak. How many here have ever been to the top of Pike's Peak?

Looking back I can recall there are four things you need to reach the top of Pike's Peak.

First there is the desire.

Second enough fuel to get there.

Guidance along the way.

To overcome the fears.

We can compare our Christian life with the same needs to reach our goals in life.

First there is the desire to want to reach that goal.

Proverbs 11: 23 The desire of the righteous ends only in good.

The most important thing we must posses in order for us to accomplish anything is the desire.

We have to have that want in order to do something.

It takes approximately 3 hours to drive to the top of Pike's Peak and back again.

So if you have the desire to go to the top you must be willing to take the time to do it.

Desire is the most important thing because without the desire your heart will not be in it.

Now maybe when some of you get up in the morning your want to go to work isn't there but the thing that overpowers your want is responsibilities.

You have the responsibility to your family to provide for them so even though you don't want to go to work you do.

Jesus was no different in the fact that He didn't want to have to go to the cross.

Matthew 26:36 Going a little farther He fell with His face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

Remember Jesus was human and He didn't want to have to face the horrible pain, and this was not a sign of weakness.

But the one thing that allowed Him to push on was desire because He loved us so much.

So for us to truly want to go to heaven we must first have the desire.

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Second is having enough fuel to get there. Before you begin your journey to the top of Pike's Peak an official first checks your fuel gauge.

You must have at least a half of tank of fuel before you are allowed to begin the journey.

In our spiritual journey we must have enough fuel also, not in the liquid form but in the spiritual form, which means we must have enough knowledge.

Reading the Word of God and gaining knowledge is so important in our spiritual life.

1 Timothy 4:13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and teaching.

Notice two things about this verse; first the word devote. Don't just look it over every once in a while, be devoted to it.

And second Paul says to do it publicly, in other words don't be ashamed of God's Word get out and tell others.

As parents we send our kids to school at a very early age so they will learn the basic skills to move to the next level.

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We don't put a six year old in high school because they are not ready just as we must know why we even want to follow God and we gain that from reading the Bible.

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Third we need guidance. To get to the top of Pike's Peak you must follow the marked route.

There is only one main road that will get you there. Now there are other paths that you can take but they are service roads and lead you dead ends.

Everyone turn to Proverbs and let's read this familiar verse together.

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

We have the Holy Spirit to lead us and keep us on the right road to reach our destiny.

When we veer of the main road that is when we end up at a dead end that takes us nowhere.

Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

And finally we must be strong and overcome our fears.

As you get closer to the top of Pike's Peak you will find yourself driving along the edge of the mountain on a gravel road with thousands of foot drop offs and no guard rails.