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The Precarious Crag’s of Life
Psalms 18: 33
Text Scripture:
Psalms 18:33 He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places.
Intro: (Revival Begins with Me!)
The Lord must have thought there was an important Spiritual Truth to be learned from this phrase … seeing as He put it in three different places in the Bible: Psalms 18: 33, 2nd Samuel 22: 34, and Habakkuk 3: 19
As I start this sermon tonight, I begin by telling you Webster’s definition of the word I’ve used: CRAG
CRAG: A rough, steep, or broken rock, rising or jutting
out prominently.
If you will picture in your mind a steep, narrow, mountain pass, then you will have the mental image I am trying to convey.
· In the days of the Old West, when cowboys would have to cross those steep mountain passes they would use mules or horses that tracked when they walked.
· Now the term “tracking” when applied to a mule or horse doesn’t mean they act like bloodhounds!
· “Tracking” simply means that when they walk, their back foot steps in the same place their front foot stepped.
· Because of their ability to “track” they were much less prone to fall when traversing narrow mountain paths.
· Their ability to “track” is the talent that gave them safe passage through dangerous conditions!
While following Jesus Christ, I have discovered that, often, my life-path has gone through some rough, steep, and broken places that are … jutting out prominently!
· The only hope for your survival is to learning to “track” God’s footsteps.
· The only hope for revival is learning to “track God’s footsteps.
To paraphrase what the Psalmist said in the text scripture:
There is no limit to the heights I can safely reach in my life … AS LONG AS
MY LIFE IS: “TRACKING” GOD … AS LONG AS I CONTINUE TO PUT MY FEET INTO HIS
FOOTSTEPS!
As I prepared for this sermon I called a friend who is a horse expert and asked her about horses that track.
She told me some interesting facts:
There are lessons we should learn in what I just said:
· Not all Christians track. Simply being a Christian doesn’t guarantee the ability to track …. Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth (TRACKS) the will of my Father which is in heaven.
·
Some Christians, when born-again, are born with the
ability to track … others must be taught …SOME CANNOT BE TAUGHT. (Because they
don’t have a teachable spirit) 2 Timothy 3:7 Ever learning, and never able
to come to the knowledge of the truth.
· When a Christian runs … he cannot track … the rear hooves come past the front on the outside of the front hooves for power.
·
Speed is not the issue for a sure-footed Christian …
tracking is the issue!!! … Ecclesiastes 9:11 I returned, and saw under the
sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong,
neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet
favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
· Thoroughbred Christians track better than other breeds (Doctrinally sound)
· Not all kinds of Christians track. Some, as a dog, when they hit a curve, their back feet go to the outside while his front feet go to the inside.
Tracking is CRITICALLY IMPORTANT!!!
Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
· The way that leads to destruction is a wide path
· Lives that do not track for Jesus are quite comfortable in this path … because there is plenty of room
· The way that leads to life is narrow
·
It is filled with precarious crag’s that must be
negotiated
· This way can only be traveled safely by a life that is tracking properly for Jesus!
· On our Christian pilgrimage, we must traverse the Precarious Crag’s of Life.
· Troubles and trials come
· The Precarious Crag’s can be safely traversed only by a life that is tracking Jesus!
Today I want to examine the five indications of a life that is properly tracking for Jesus:
When a life is tracking for Jesus:
1: The PEACE of God ALIGNS the
PROBLEMS of Life
John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
The Peace of God always puts our problems into proper ALIGNMENT or PERSPECTIVE!
Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
JOY in this life is NOT the
ABSENCE of PROBLEMS … JOY is the PRESENCE OF GOD IN YOUR PROBLEMS!
SONG:
Through It All
Words and music by Andrae Crouch
I've
had many tears and sorrows
I've had questions for tomorrow
There've been times I didn't know right from wrong
But in every situation
God gave blessed consolation
That my trials only come to make me strong
I've
been a lot of places
And I've seen so many faces
But there've been times I've felt so all alone
But in that lonely hour
In that precious, lonely hour
Jesus let me know I was His own
Through
it all
Through it all
I've learned to trust in Jesus
I've learned to trust in God
Through it all
Through it all
I've learned to depend upon His Word
So I thank God for the mountains
And I thank Him for the valleys
I thank Him for the storms He's brought me through
Cause if I never had a problem
I wouldn't know that He could solve them
I wouldn't know what faith in His Word could do
Through
it all
Through it all
I've learned to trust in Jesus
I've learned to trust in God
Through it all
Through it all
I've learned to depend upon His Word
Yes, I've learned to depend upon His Word
I've learned to depend upon His Word
ILLUSTRATION:
Psalms 23:1 <<A Psalm of David.>> The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
· Piano stool and two chairs
· Several guys plotting against me
· Me and God communing at the table!
Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
REVIVAL STARTS WITH ME LEARNING TO
COMMUNE WITH GOD IN SPITE OF MY PROBLEMS!
When our lives are tracking for Jesus:
1: The PEACE of God ALIGNS the PROBLEMS of Life
2: Our PAST SINS ALIGNED with our
PRESENT STATE of FORGIVENESS
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Psalms 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
Sin
caused our hinds’ feet to lose the ability to track after God
· We were conceived in sin
· Born into sin
· We have a sin nature
· Sin separates us from God
But the Good News is … that while we were yet sinners … Christ died for us!
· He took upon Himself our iniquity
· He died that we may live
· He came that we may have life … and have it more abundantly!
· He came to ALIGN our PAST SINS with our PRESENT STATE Of FORGIVENESS!
Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us
We are all beset with the
propensity to sin …
ILLUSTRATIONS:
· David: Sin (Adultery) caused his life to get out of track
· Samson: Sin caused his life to get out of track!
· Adulterous Woman: Sin had caused her life to get out of track!
WHEN
WE GET RIGHT WITH GOD … HE CAUSES OUR LIVES TO TRACK!
If you want this church to “Track
for Jesus” then friend … YOU GOTTA GET IN TRACK WITH JESUS!!!
Remember: Revival starts with me!!!
When our lives are tracking for Jesus:
1: The PEACE of God ALIGNS the PROBLEMS of Life
2: Our PAST SINS ALIGN with our PRESENT STATE of FORGIVENESS
3: OUR PRIORITIES ALIGN with God’s
PLAN for our lives
A life that tracks for Jesus gives PRIORITY AND PLANNING to the PROPER THINGS.
ILLUSTRATION:
I want to mention a classic movie to you today … Alice in Wonderland.
· In one of the scenes, Alice is lost.
· She encounters a Cheshire Cat.
· She asks the cat, “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here.”
· “That depends a great deal on where you want to go?” replies the Cheshire Cat.
· “I don’t much care where,” says Alice.
·
“The Cheshire Cat then replies, “Then it doesn’t
matter which way you go.”
The point is this:
· In your personal life and in the ministry of this church … you will face crossroads
· If you don’t care where you go … then it doesn’t matter which direction you take!
·
If you care where you go … you better make the right
choices … or decisions!
ILLUSTRATION:
· Me and the young boys I grew up with
· Seven or eight years old
· Used to dig in a ditch playing chain-gang
· One was the guard
· The rest were the convicts
· We had to dig in the ditch
· When people would drive by on that dirt road they would ask: WHAT ARE YOU BOYS DOING … AND WE WOULD PROUDLY PROCLAIM: WE’RE THE WORKERS BY THE WORKERS!
· Our work had no PLAN or PRIORITY
· But we were working!
ILLUSTRATION:
WWII … Winston Churchill set and communicated the priorities
of England: “ We have before us an
ordeal of the most grievous kind. We
have before us many, many long months of struggle and suffering. You ask
what is our policy? I will say: It
is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the
strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never
surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our
policy. You ask, What is our aim? I answer in one word: Victory ~victory at
all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the
road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.”
Jesus gave the
PLAN and PRIORITY for a life that tracks for Him:
1: Love God and your Neighbor
Matthew 22:35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
2: Seek God above all
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
3: Don’t sacrifice your family on the Altar of Religion
1 Timothy 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
Marriage: I take you for better or for worse … JUST NOT FOR LONG!
When our lives are tracking for Jesus:
1: The PEACE of God ALIGNS the PROBLEMS of Life
2: Our PAST SINS ALIGN with our PRESENT STATE of FORGIVENESS
3: Our PRIORITIES ALIGN with God’s PLAN for of our LIVES
4: Our PASSION ALIGNS with our
CHOSEN PROFESSION
I cannot imagine doing anything but preaching and ministering for Jesus. Why? Because that’s what I’m passionate about.
I preached on this last night … but
we need to identify what we are PASSIONATE about and start doing that … AND
STOP DOING THOSE THINGS WE AREN’T PASSIONATE ABOUT!
When our lives are tracking for Jesus:
1: The PEACE of God ALIGNS the PROBLEMS of Life
2: Our PAST SINS ALIGN with our PRESENT STATE of FORGIVENESS
3: Our PRIORITIES ALIGN with God’s PLAN for of our LIVES
4: Our PASSION ALIGNS our CHOSEN PROFESSION
5: Our PURPOSE ALIGNS our PRACTICE
What is our Purpose?
Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
As I go into church after church … sadly … I see individual Christians and entire congregations who have forgotten their purpose.
Our purpose is not:
· To build monuments to ourselves
· To fill our pews with people
· Or to have our names in the headlines
Our purpose is … AS WE NEGOTIATE THE PRECARIOUS CRAG’S OF LIFE …is to MODEL Christ in such a way … TO LIVE A LIFE THAT SO TRACKS FOR JESUS … that people are drawn to Him … AND LIVES ARE FOREVER ALTARED AND CHANGED!
ILLUSTRATIONS: (These guys were
tracking!)
· Old Testament: Shadrach, Meschach, Abednego
· Four men who took the lame man to Jesus (tore off the roof) they modeled it!
· Peter and John going into the temple … Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. (They modeled it)
Close:
These modeled lives that tracked for God
When our lives are tracking for Jesus:
1: The PEACE of God ALIGNS the PROBLEMS of Life
2: Our PAST SINS ALIGN with our PRESENT STATE of FORGIVENESS
3: Our PRIORITIES ALIGN with God’s PLAN for of our LIVES
4: Our PASSION ALIGNS our CHOSEN PROFESSION
5: Our PURPOSE ALIGNS our PRACTICE
Church … Christian … as you travel your life-path for Christ …
As you negotiate the PRECARIOUS CRAG’S …
ARE
YOU TRACKING?