Just read an interesting survey about Americans. Half of us have stopped thinking about our ultimate purpose. Those who think about it tend to go to church to get help with their questions. Those who don't seem interested don't bother with those spiritual journey issues and pursue their own course, wherever it takes them. (Lifeway Researsh Dec. 2011)
No wonder we seem to be in such a mess.
How can we work on getting somewhere if we don't have a somewhere to go. To me, that would seem a horrible nightmare. Wandering without any direction sounds pretty scary to me. I am so glad God called me and gave me something to work on. I'm so glad that call comes with help along the way too. And that can be true for you as well.
I think there is some mystic connected to pastors, that somehow we have extra stuff no one else has.And besides that, that extra stuff comes to us in unusual or mystical ways.
I hate to break it to you, but unless I follow the directions that God gives me by reading the Bible, I'm not getting anything secretly.
Now I do hear from God very convincingly from other people speaking a word of the Lord to me. But it needs to match what I've already heard from God to be a good reinforcement. I haven't heard totally new words of God that aren't already spelled out in scripture. I may not have been paying attention to the Bible like I shoud have, sometimes, but God is very helpful in that he is consistent. God won't say one thing one time and something else another time. We may think so, we may hope so, but the Word of the Lord is dependable. As Psalm one reminds us, those who look to God are like trees planted by the water, we will have fruit in due season all the time.
So the challenge is getting myself near enough to the water to be nourished. Sometimes that means leaving the desert to move closer to water. The desert could be I'm getting so busy I don't have time for Bible reading. Or I'm too wrapped up in other things and have too little time for God. I can shrivel up pretty fast, that way.
I need to get closer to the living water more regularly. I need a map to keep me heading in the right direction for the living water. This year, I've downloaded the One Year Bible plan off of the internet and printed it out and folded it up and put in in my new Common English Bible. For about 15 minutes a day, I'll read again, the whole Bible, all of it, from cover to cover. There are other plans too. if you type in one year Bible in the search window, you will get dozens of them. Biblegateway.com has many reading plans too. You can sign up to have the readings emailed to you everyday if that would help you keep near the living water more regularly.
One or two questions to ask yourself when you read, might be helpful. I've found these questions very helpful. "Is there something here in this verse, or story, I need to avoid?" then start to avoid that. "Is there something here in this verse or story, I need to emulate, or copy or do myself?" then, start to copy or do.
St. Paul reminds us that we are to mature in the faith and grow up into the likeness of Jesus. So maybe the challenge for your spiritual journey is to read more about Jesus. One chapter a day of a Gospel, means you can cover all 90 chapters in three months. You will be amazed at how much that can help you to mature and grow and bear fruit in season.
There is help to find our what our destiny is. God does not leave us as orphans, but provides the Holy Spirit to interpret the Word. And you will be blessed. The blessings will far outweigh life without a purpose, because you thought you could do better on your own.
This is a sermon. I've learned it the hard way. I'm trying to keep you from falling into a ditch, which is no fun at all. Blessings
Pastor Jeff
