The Way Ahead! Series

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The Way Ahead!

Introduction: When God leads his children their future is always clear and God specifically guides them. Is your future heading anywhere? Have you taken some wrong decisions in the past because of which your life has been a disappointment? Are you confused as to where your life is heading now? Maybe you are saying how will I face my future? I wish I had not done that. Will God guide me again?

Subject: The Way Ahead! Series: New Beginnings Scripture: Isaiah 42:16

HF: If you are unsure of the way ahead in your life, if your future seems confused this morning I want to show you from the Word of God that God wants to lead you through a new way.

Isaiah 42:16 16I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.

Brief Background:

• Israel was God’s people, directed and led by God.

• The Babylonians came and attacked them.

• Instead of seeking Godly counsel they took worldly counsel.

• They took help from the Egyptians to fight the Babylonians.

• As a consequence they lost the battle and went into Babylonian captivity.

• Now they are in Babylon.

• They did not know what to do.

• Their future was unsure and confused, there was no way ahead.

See what God says: Isaiah 42:16 16I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.

The Bible says now they are blind. They do not know the way. Their future is confused.

Why did such a situation arise? Why did the people go blind?

Isaiah 56:10 10 Israel’s watchmen are blind, they all lack knowledge; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they lie around and dream, they love to sleep.

Israel is blind because their watchmen were blind. The watchmen never kept watch. They were sleeping when the enemies came. The whole country has been defeated and in exile.

Child of God if we are not watchful of our lives we will get into all sort of mess and end up confused and without direction in our life.

Isaiah 56:10 (Message) For Israel’s watchmen are blind, the whole lot of them. They have no idea what’s going on. They’re dogs without sense enough to bark, lazy dogs, dreaming in the sun— But hungry dogs, they do know how to eat, voracious dogs, with never enough. And these are Israel’s shepherds! They know nothing, understand nothing.

Now, Israel’s watchmen did not watch and the whole nation is blind and confused.

The Bible compares us as watchmen.

Matthew 26:41 41Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.

1 Corinthians 16:13 (KJV) 13Watch ye, stand fast in the faith.

Luke 12:15 15Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed.

We are the watchmen according to the Bible and if we are lazy and do not watch our lives and our families we will be attacked by the tactics of the devil.

What are we to watch for?

1. Watch ourselves. We have to watch our spiritual life.

1 Timothy 4:16 16Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Galatians 6:1 But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.

We are the watchmen of our lives.

2. Watch the Kingdom of God.

Ezekiel 33:7 7Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.

We are to watch our church, our families, our ministries.

In ancient days cities had walls. At certain points in the wall were towers where watchmen would stand and keep watch over the city. They would be on the lookout for invading armies. When an invader was spotted, they would call out the threat to the King.

Duties of Heavenly Watchman

1. Report to People.

Ezekiel 33:7 7Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.

Hear from God and warn/report to people.

2. Report to God.

2 Samuel 18:24-27 24 While David was sitting between the inner and outer gates, the watchman went up to the roof of the gateway by the wall. As he looked out, he saw a man running alone. 25 The watchman called out to the king and reported it. The king said, "If he is alone, he must have good news." And the man came closer and closer. 26 Then the watchman saw another man running, and he called down to the gatekeeper, "Look, another man running alone!" The king said, "He must be bringing good news, too."