Walk

thank you Pastor I counted an honor to serve along beside pastor and Pastor Sam I just I thank God for the opportunity to be able to serve you um heard Pastor Sam say that he was he was thanking everybody for your help I I want to say this if I could uh everybody that participated in midweek University all of my volunteers I want to say thank you and I know we're going to do something special later on but I I want to say thank you because it takes a lot to make that happen and uh and I know Pastor will bring some numbers to you at some point in the near future about what what things has done here for us at midweek University but we have just seen a miraculous move in our midweek University not not just in number alone but but God is speaking into people's life we're seeing we're seeing people grow isn't that what it's about and I I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart every one of you teachers your volunteers those of you that helped um and and that is that is just outstanding that we can have classes all across the campus I appreciate that very much give yourself a hand right now would you do that yeah yes amen I want to

I want to start out today and I'm really just trying to work through and God dropped this in my spirit a few few weeks ago but um some weeks ago I was watching um little Pierce is he in here he's over there okay I was watching little Pierce as he uh was back and forth up here and he was walking back and forth and and it couldn't come couldn't come at a better time because God was dealing with me on some a word and so I was watching him and I thought to myself you know four or five months ago uh the little guy couldn't even hardly stand he was just kind of you know he he' just stand there and then he took that first step and it was over uh but but I watched him as as he was walking around and still yet uh few Sundays ago uh came into service and and dad had mentioned and I saw it on his head he had a little bump on his head and a little little bruise on his head well he he stumbled uh along the way and and he hurt his head how many of you can say that along the road that you travel that you've stumped your toe a few times you've tripped a few times there been some things happen in your life and you just you know you just didn't uh didn't know how you was going to get through it I'm sure that when that little fell hit his head he thought the world had come to an end normally that's the way it sounds is whenever a tragedy or something happens in each and every one of our lives uh it seems that it really sets us back doesn't it it takes a lot out of us it uh it just there's things that happen in life and you know the scripture talks to us a lot about in Paul uh especially in Paul's writings his his Epistles that he wrote um is his relationship with God is like a walk the relationship that he has with the Lord uh he he speaks of it in a lot of times in walking now we do know that Paul went on to talk about running a race but he talks about the the walk

the scripture tells us in Hebrew uh in uh Romans the 8th chapter verse 1 there is therefore now no condemnation unto them which are in Christ Jesus who walketh not after the flesh but after the spirit so in in this in this particular scripture Paul is talking about we walking after the spirit not not the flesh a lot of times when we look at those two different terms now I I mentioned the little fellow that was walking back and forth here Pierce was walking you know we can say that Pierce is walking has gotten better right his walk has gotten better his his ability to be able to balance is there he he's balancing himself but I think that this could be said also in the spiritual sense is that that there are many times in our life as we take this journey and I'd like to use that word Journey because it is a journey for us how many you know that life is full of

the psalmist tells us in the 23rd psalm he says yay though I walk through the valley of The Shadow shadow of death all fear no EV he was walking so that Journey that we walk with the Lord I I have and and many of you know that the Psalms uh Paul's writings those are some of my favorites and David's writings are some of my favorites but I've often times thought about how David probably felt when he was given those words of the 23rd psalm because it is a journey it is a walk and and he's walking with the shepherd he's walking with the one that can tell him okay you got to slow up right here you got a you we've got a really steep incline right here you're going to have to watch it and and and I I've I've I've done some some deeping in the digging into this and I'm not going to go into detail because I get bogged down okay so just go with me but uh I I I've often times thought about how that he talks about the the scripture tells us that the bones which thou Hast broken the scripture tells us that that there are bones that are broken and and what we don't realize is in that day and time that when the shepherd and because David being a Shepherd he understood this there was times that there would be those little lambs or those little sheeps and those little sheep that you know they're stubborn sometimes they get stubborn say I've been stubborn before and and they get out of hand and they just they they leave the fo for some reason and he goes and finds them and he brings them back and puts them in line and and he goes and does this a few times well uh and The Story Goes On And if you read a lot about what Shepherds do is sometimes they are to the place that they have to take and break their legs because they just they can't keep them in line and and he talks about that making the bones that thou Hast broken to Rejoice what we and and I I intended not to go this route but I did Chase a rabbit okay what we didn't realize as they break those bones and they he takes that lamb and he puts it upon his shoulders many of you probably remember seeing the old the old uh pictures and things in your grandmother's house of the she the Sheep that's on okay that that that depicts what we're talking about here is those Lambs legs are broke and he puts it on his shoulders and he talks about the the bones that thou Hast broken rejoicing well he is walking around until that lamb heels guess where it's at it's right here and it becomes a burden can you imagine that and he's carrying this Lamb with him wherever he goes and and but but not only that is is he is teaching that l L how to walk he hears what's going on and what he tells other the the other sheep and so that sheep hears what he's telling them Walk This Way don't don't go there don't do that and those bones that they begin to heal but not only is that happening inside physically but there is something being structured in that spiritual man there is something that is being formed there in that spiritual man and I am sure and I I know from from experience I have not broken legs but I remember breaking a toe one time that hurts and and and it takes a long time for that to heal and still to this day there are certain things that happens and and the weather changes guess what you know about it don't you and and that's the way that's the way it happens but I I I get the the feeling that as that sheep matures and things happen he still remembers that time that he was with the Lord he remembers that you know there's many of us that could say today that we're that we've been we've been uh hurt at times and there's things that's happened to us and and and we can we can keep all that inside of us and and we can build our own case and I I get that but there is things to be said about this that we've got to sometimes let go of things because God knows what's best he knows what we need in our life and he knows what what needs to happen inside of each and every one of us so he takes us and he he forms us he molds us he makes us and and and as we walk this walk he's teaching us how to live

Paul talks to us in Ephesians Thessalonians and also in Colossians he talks about a worthy walk he teaches us how to walk worthy and he's teaching this to the churches that he pastors that we walk worthy of the call that the Lord has called us to each and every one of us has been called to do certain things I I I would say that if I was to ask you if you know what there is something that God has got has placed upon your heart there would probably majority of you would say I I I know what it is you would know exactly what God has for you you would know the things that God has placed in your life but we walk worthy and and as I begin to look at these scriptures as Paul was talking about uh that he beseech you to walk worthy of of the calling which you are called in that's Ephesians 4:1 and he goes on uh first 1 Thessalonians 2 verse 12 he also talks about a worthy walk in the Kingdom of Glory he goes on to Colossians 1:10 and he says that we would walk worthy of the Lord and that we would be fruitful there are things that God in intends for you to do as you walk worthy but in that worthy if we were to just dissect the word worthy and just ask the simple question what do you think it means we would say that that worthy means that we would that we would bring value right that we bring value to what we're doing in a worthy walk though if we are walking Worthy unto the Lord and what God intends for us to have I I will say this in all the years that I have had being around many great people of God I would say that that in our human mind we would probably say that those were people that walked upright that walked Walked really in my human brain says that that looks really nice that is a pretty sight the truth be told is a worthy walk is not always pretty true the truth is is that not always walking the way that God has asked you to walk it has it has nothing to do with looking right and and and the way that you hold your posture that is not what he is talking about he is talking about walking in what God has called you to do what God has intended for you walking worthy that is being fruitful in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ understanding increasing in knowledge and this is in Corinth uh Colossians 1:10 through 12 he also talks about us being patient longsuffering giving joyfully giving thanks you you giving thanks unto the Lord giving thanks we're in this season of Thanksgiving how many of you can say that you're thankful for what you have you're thankful for the W the walk that God has given you you're thankful for what God is doing in your life may I tell you though the walking Worthy is not always pretty it's not always easy it's not always the flat ground you know if it if it was all terrain was just just right if it was all the same it would be be easy had one of my dear Elders that I looked up to that I had the privilege of being with for a short time many years ago he he made this statement he says Victory is not always a pretty thing Victory is not always what we think it is I I I want to just for a moment paint a picture

there is a story in Genesis Genesis 32 many of you probably already thumbing through your index in your brain but this guy I want to talk to you about his name is Jacob Jacob from the day he was born the scripture tells us that he was called the heal Grabber he was there was things that Jacob was always reaching for he was trying striving to be he wanted to be the firstborn he wanted this and he wanted that to the point that all of the things that Jacob was striving for it got him in a position to where he's done cheated his brother and he has left home just running for his life Jak Jacob finds himself 20 years later he's still afraid scripture tells us that as Jacob decides and he has he has married and he's married again he God thank you thank you brother Rob thank the Lord he's got children and he's got all of these things he's got all of these cattle and he's got all of these sheep and he's got all of these things that he possesses he wants to send them back to his brother Esau and he stages them out the scripture tells us this you read that I want you to read 32 take this he stages them out and he puts them on their way to meet his brother and as he's going they're going to meet his brother he sets all of them out ahead of him he takes his children and his wives and he takes all of those that serve him and he takes them and he says look I I want you if you would I want you to to Camp right here tonight we're sending that on for my brother but I want you to Camp right here the scripture says that Jacob went up to a place and he begins to wrestle the scripture says he wrestles with this man which is an angel of the Lord and as he wrestles with this Angel he begins to to say I I want you to bless me and he asked him what is your name and and he was so and he was so adamant about getting this blessing that he would not turn him loose and the scripture says that the sun came up and as the sun started to come up says you got to let me go the scriptures said that that angel touched the hollow of his star when he touched the hollow of his star and Jacob knew he hadd been with the Lord he said give me your name he said no I'm I want to ask you what is your name he told him what his name was it his name and also means that he was he was a conniver he was a he he he he was a Ser planter he he was one of those that wanted to he he was trying to cheat he said I I I want you to know something from this day forward you will no longer be that guy I I am here to tell somebody today don't you don't have to stay that guy you don't have to stay that person now you may think that this is a this is a rough rough walk but I'm telling you something you can walk away with a blessing in your life and as Jacob begins to wrestle with this Angel God blessed him and he knew that he had been with God and when he walked away from there the scripture says that as the sun come up Jacob had to stall himself why cuz he's walking a different wall and let me tell you something about the walk that Jacob walked you would look at it as a sad story we would look at it as oh he's crippled

growing up there was this young family that was in the church that was right there close to where I lived and I would listen as I would get around this lady and she would she had children and she had her husband was not in church and she kept she kept praying and she would put the request out there I want you to pray for Charles I want God to bring him I want God to fill him with the Holy Ghost he just likes his fast cars and he likes to drink and she she was at she just told him that way and I remember her saying on time and time again God whatever and you would hear her pray this God whatever ever you have to do bring Charles one of his fast cars got away from him one day and because of some of the injuries caused a stroke into his in his in part of his body he survived that and they got him they got him Al uh got him going and he was there and wasn't but a few months later Charles showed up to church he didn't have anything against the church he just was busy just too busy Charles showed up to church wasn't too long until they had revivals that's when we had week long weeks long revivals not just week long but weeks Charles was in one of those services and I I remember being in that service and I watched him as he got out and he's dragging this foot and this arm he was all shriveled up and he made his way to the front God baptized him with the Holy Ghost that night now you know from the that day on you would have thought you know okay he's going to receive his healing you know how we are woo you would have thought that that he would have received his healing all in the part of that but until the day he died guess what Charles did and Charles walked that walk and he lived about a block and a half from the church he didn't he didn't drive the car down there I passed one day it's right after I'd got my license Pastor I saw Charles heading I was like man church is not going to happen right now but I watched a little later he's at the church and I watch how that he goes in and he sits down and he's just spending time with the lord it's interesting how that God can change your perspective

I don't come here to ask you how your walk is today I don't ask you how your walk is but I consider Charles walk a worthy walk his walk is a worthy walk why because he finally made it to what he really needed from God and I often times think whatever it takes I listen to her pray that prayer and I I think do you really want to pray that prayer on somebody yeah there's only one thing that matters in life folks how many you ever looked have you looked up lately it's running fast time is ticking children are growing up they're getting they get it's like they just boom boom I look around here I've got children that are grown and they got little ones and I'm thinking to myself where's time going the only thing that matters today is that you walk a worthy walk and that worthy walk is whatever it takes God whatever it takes for me to get there whatever it takes for me to find that place in you

I want you to stand to your feet right now with me and I know that it's not been lengthy but there is a word for someone here today God is calling and he's calling somebody and saying can you walk that worthy walk will you will you find your place in the kingdom of God will you find that time to spend with the Lord or are you too busy is things too busy for you in life may I tell you when at the end of the road when it's all said and done it's not going to matter if the yards mode it's not going to matter if the weed weed eating's been done it's not going to matter you know that wall you wanted to paint it won't matter it won't matter what matters today is that you make things right with God walk worthy to that calling that God has called you for would you bow your heads with us right now in this place I I am I am asking of you and if it would be a plea today I'm pleading with you right now if you see that in your life I challenge you to step out from where you are and walk to this front God wants to give you a new walk today he wants to give you a new walk he wants to change some things in your life H he wants to make things worthy of of what he has called you for in the name of Jesus across this building would you pray with us right now saints of God God that I walk worthy that I walk pleasing to you Lord Jesus honorable to you Lord whatever that may look like Lord Jesus God whatever that takes whatever it is that I need to do Lord Jesus worthy Lord in your house God honorable to your glory god not in the sight of man not in the sight of those around me but God worthy in your eyes God that my limp Lord Jesus is it be unto you Lord my limp is because I Trust You Lord something God that I need in my life Lord Jesus to remind me of where you've brought me to and where I'm going Lord Jesus in the name of Jesus across this room would you find someone to pray with right now in the name of Jesus oh oh yes Lord yes Lord in the name of Jesus hallelujah hallelujah in the name of Jesus