WALKING WITH THE LORD
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WALKING WITH THE LORD
SOME SAY THAT IT CAN’T BE DONE TODAY. THEY SAY THAT IN THE PAST, THE DISCIPLES WALKED WITH JESUS. THEY SAY THAT IN THE PAST, WHEN JESUS WAS ON EARTH, PEOPLE COULD HAVE THAT PRIVILEGE, BUT NOT TODAY. JESUS HAS TO BE PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN ORDER TO WALK WITH HIM… NOT SO ! LOOK AT THIS–
Genesis 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
Genesis 5:22 And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:
Genesis 5:24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
Genesis 6:9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
COULD HE BE SEEN ? WAS HIS PRESENCE ALWAYS PHYSICAL ? IF NOT, CAN THIS SAME PRIVILEGE BE GRANTED TO PEOPLE TODAY ?
1. WALKING WITH HIM IS TO HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM.
1 John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.
WHAT IS FELLOWSHIP ? IT MEANS ONE THING WITH ONE PERSON AND ANOTHER TO SOMEONE ELSE. GOD’S DEFINITION IS THE ONE THAT COUNTS.
FELLOWSHIP IS TURNING OUR ATTENTION ON GOD, NOT EVERYONE ELSE. (Rejecting the distracting appeal of idolatry).
2 Corinthians 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
FELLOWSHIP CANNOT BE OBTAINED IF WE DWELL IN UNBELIEF. IF WE ARE TO WALK WITH JESUS, WE MUST FOLLOW HIS WORD.
John 5:8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
John 5:11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.
John 5:12 Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?
FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD MEANS NO TIME FOR EVERYTHING. YOU WILL HAVE TO DROP FELLOWSHIP WITH OTHER THINGS IN ORDER TO MAKE THE ROOM. YOU CANNOT BE ALL THINGS TO ALL PEOPLE. YOU CANNOT FULFILL ALL THAT YOU WANT TO DO. TO HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH JESUS, YOU MUST DENY YOURSELF.
Mark 8:34 And when He had called the people unto Him with His disciples also, He said unto them, Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
IF A PERSON FAILS TO FOLLOW, THEY NO LONGER HAVE FELLOWSHIP.
Matthew 19:21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow Me.
WAS PETER HAVING FELLOWSHIP WITH JESUS WHEN HE FOLLOWED FROM A DISTANCE ? NO !
Matthew 26:58 But Peter followed Him afar off unto the high priest’s palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end.
2. BY PUTTING YOUR ATTENTION ON JESUS, YOU WILL LEARN THINGS THAT YOU WOULD MISS BY SIMPLY READING.
YOU SEE THE REAL STANDARDS. IT IS DIFFICULT TO REALLY TELL MUCH ABOUT A PERSON BY HEARING THEM IN A RELIGIOUS CONTEXT. YOU WILL BE ABLE TO KNOW THEIR STANDARDS WHEN IT ISN’T AROUND CHURCH. YOU SEE WHAT THE PERSON’S DESIRES REALLY ARE.
HOW CAN WE APPLY JESUS TRUE DESIRES TO OUR LIVES ?
- SEEK & SAVE THE LOST. Mt 18:11 “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.”
- JERUSALEM. YOU WILL GET CONCERNED ABOUT ISRAEL. Luke 13:34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!”
- HIS HURT OVER UNBELIEF. John 11:35 “Jesus wept.” (You don’t see such emotions while doing your own thing).
HIS FRUSTRATIONS OVER…
- PEOPLE WHO HAVEN’T COME TO UNDERSTAND THE BASICS ABOUT GOD. “HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN WITH YOU ?” John 14:7-11 “Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me: or else believe Me for the very works’ sake.”
- PEOPLE WHO OUGHT TO HAVE FAITH, WHO DON’T EXERCISE IT. Luke 8:25 “And He said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for He commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey Him.”
- PEOPLE WHO SHOULD BE TRUSTING GOD, BUT TRY TO REASON THINGS OUT LOGICALLY AMONG THEMSELVES. Mark 8:16 “And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread.”
3. YOU GET TO SEE WHAT GOD DOES.
A child often has no idea what the parent does at work unless they go there and walk with him. The same is true to the Christian life.
- WALKING WITH JESUS IS ESSENTIAL TO RECOGNIZING AND DEFEATING DEMONIC ACTIVITY.
DEMONS OBEY. Luke 4:36 “And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power He commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.”
- WALKING WITH JESUS IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHERE AND HOW TO PLACE OUR ACTIONS OF LOVE.
HIS COMPASSION.
- THE HUNGRY CROWD. Matthew 15:32 “Then Jesus called His disciples unto Him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with Me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.”
- THE CHILDREN THAT OTHERS REJECTED. Mark 10:14 “But when Jesus saw it, He was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.”
4. YOU GET TO SEE HIS ASSOCIATIONS.
THE PEOPLE WHO WALK WITH HIM SEE MORE. UNLESS YOU ARE WALKING WITH HIM, YOU MIGHT NOT SEE THEM. **SOME SAY, “I’M THE ONLY ONE SERVING THE LORD.”
Acts 9:26 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.
YOU SEE WHO ISN’T WALKING WITH HIM, BUT PUT THEIR OWN DESIRES AND WAYS AHEAD OF HIS. THEY SIMPLY WON’T BE THERE.
1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
“Walking With The Lord”
A Bible Study with Dr. Ed J. MacWilliams
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