Brother Gary Sunday Morning 2/15/15

Brother Gary Sunday Morning 2/15/15

Jer 6:16  Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

We are happy that there is a rest.  It is a promise of both the Old and New Testament.  It is for each and every one of us.

There are six things written of that produces rest for the soul in this reading.  It is vital that we do all that the Word of God teaches to find rest for our soul.  A discontented soul will always be searching for things in the world to satisfy and only Jesus can satisfy the soul.

Jeremiah said, “Stand in the ways.”  There are a lot of ways that are presented.  There are emotions, and promises that come with the ways that are out there. 

And look:  it is vital that each of us is conscious of the fact that we don’t just wander on or make a move in the way that many are going or the way of least resistance or even in the way that would fit our personality.  We need to look at the many paths that are traveled and realize that each path leads to a destination. 

Jesus is the only way.  Many have found that way, have chosen to serve Him, found rest and peace in life, and today are rejoicing in heaven.

There is also the way of the world.  I remember as far back as I can remember that the way of the world looked very attractive.  Those youthful years have been gone a long time.  It is interesting that the world will still try to be attractive.  It doesn’t matter what our age may be.

The same world that would try to attract children and young people will never stop trying to be attractive until there is destruction.  All that is in the world: 1 John 2:15-17

The lusts of the flesh:  the desire of the flesh.  Those things that look attractive for a season and only last for a season.  The lust of the eyes.  That which is attractive to the eye.  The pride of life, that which will satisfy the carnal pride of an individual or for someone else, that they think will satisfy your life.

Ask for the old paths:  It is vital that you and I know what the old paths are.  You may think, “There have been those in the congregation that have been near 100 years old.  They could tell us about the ‘old days’.  There was a brother that could have told us about coming in a covered wagon. 

We enjoy reading how the first homesteaders survived and built their home.  Those are not the old paths.  The old paths are directions from eternity.  It is a marvelous thing that God told Jeremiah, “I knew you before I created you in the womb.”  He is God. 

I am a firm believer that beyond a shadow of a doubt that the old paths not only made a provision for salvation through the blood of Christ, repentance, and believing that God forgives.  In these old paths there are also treasures unseen through the directing hand of God that guides you as a pilot on the road to eternity.

There are those in this audience that will conclude with the Psalmist that all the foundations of the world are out of course.  Each of us here has veered off the course that God had for us and gone into sin.  You don’t have to be there very long until you think, “I stayed there too long.” 

There are those that got saved as children or young people in this audience.  From eternity God made a plan for mankind.  It is our responsibility to stand in the ways and ask for the old paths.  That is one of the crucial things to finding rest for the soul.

The old paths are the good ways:  It is so wonderful to be traveling the old paths.  God has a path for us to follow.  It is recorded in the 66 books of the bible.  There are those that God spoke to and they spoke to God and sought after Him.  Moses was offered the world.  He was put in the unique position in the thought of being raised and educated in worldly ways but he had praying parents.

If you have praying parents you are very blessed.  If you have a saved mother or father, if you have a saved companion, we need to be thankful and pray for them.  We need to be thankful for the brothers and sisters in Christ.  There is not one that is not prayed for by the saints every day.

Isa 35:8  And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.

The marvelous thing about the good way is that we have God the Father, a wonderful teacher, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Isa 35:9  No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:

The lion is an individual with a nature to tear you apart and to oppress and depress.  No lion will be there nor any ravenous beast.  But the redeemed shall walk there.

Isa 35:10  And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Heb 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

Heb 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Heb 12:24  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

The old paths:  it is wonderful to have a song; wake with a song, and go to sleep with a song.  “He lifted me out.”  The only reason that I can raise my hand to that song is that He lifted me out.

“There is not a friend like Jesus.”  We have found Him to be that friend.  “Sweet hour of prayer,” we feel our soul meditating into that song, “That calls me from a world of care.”

“What a friend we have in Jesus; all our sins and griefs to bear.”  He gives a song.  The Bible tells us that He gives a song in the night.  We have a song of the Lamb. 

Everlasting joy on their heads.  We live in a world that is full of oppressing spirits and is upside down.  We are not happy with the conditions of the world but can be happy that our citizenship is in heaven.

Isa 55:1  Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

You can be very thirsty and looking for something that will fill the hole in the heart, fill your mind with  a purpose and anticipation, give you hope in life.  The old paths do.

Isa 55:4  Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.

When we were a sinner, we knew that we were a sinner.  I remember the night that I got saved, I confessed my sin to God.  He witnessed to my heart that my sins were forgiven.  Today I understand that they are cast as far as the east is from the west never to be remembered against me again.

He buried my sin in the depths of the sea.  They will never find my sin.  I confessed, repented, turned, and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ made an atonement. 

Several things took place, my name was recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life and I was given a new name.  I am a part of God’s family this morning.  He also said, “Destroy all those records of sin; I will never remember the sin life of that man again.”

He becomes a leader.  Everyone that is going to be a good leader, needs a good leader: Jesus.  How many times has He led you and directed you?  I have run ahead of him a few times and learned my lesson, “Let Him lead.”

He is a commander.  The voices of the world will wear you out.  It is wonderful when He said, “This is the way.”  There has never been a day when He has given me more than I can handle.  There have been days that I have taken on more than I can handle.

My thoughts are not your thoughts:  My mind can wake up at six in the morning and I begin to think, “Should I get the wood in or do this or that?”  It is wonderful that His thoughts are not our thoughts.

When unbelief, trouble, anxiety come to visit us: it is wonderful that His thoughts are not our thoughts.

God will choose better for you than you will ever choose for yourself.  That individual that chooses their own way it always goes sour.  There could be many volumes of books, libraries of books in every community in every country, God’s way is always best.

Those are the old paths.  You may be here and feel, “I don’t know if God has anything in store for me.”  Those are your thought.  Stop right there.  God has good thoughts.

Isa 55:8  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

Isa 55:9  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

God has chosen a route for you in eternity.  If you have failed, He is a marvelous God.  When you come to Him, “I failed, I chose my own way; I want to get back on the path you chose for me.”

Psa 119:105  NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

All of us are going somewhere.  The Word of God right there sheds light on our feet.  It is a lamp to our path; the devil lays many snares.  You don’t have to be very old and he lays snares for you. Children are exposed to many things way too young today.  They make choices that they are not old enough to make.

The word is a lamp to our path.  The snares that are out there: an individual doesn’t know that they are in a snare until the trap snaps shut and the individual knows, “Oh, no, I can’t get out of here.”  For an animal in a snare, the more they pull, the tighter the trap gets.

The Spirit of the Lord says, “My child don’t go that way.”  I am too old to get into a snare, when the light of the Word of God shines on my path, “Don’t go there son, be careful what you read…”  I will listen.

Psa 119:9  BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

There is a marvelous word in the Old and New Testament.  It is the word, “Valor.”  It means strength, excellence in character and virtue.  How can I clean up my life and keep clean?  By the Word of God.

Valor and virtue one for masculine and one for feminine, they both mean the same thing.

The message is spiritual strength.  The joy of the Lord is our strength.  The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Isa 35:10  And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Christ gives everlasting joy on our head.

How we need strength!  We need strength to be godly men, to be good husbands, to be good parents, to be good grandparents, to stand the test when you are tried, when you are the one that the enemy picks out to accuse and take your joy, “I am going to stand and be true to God.”

Excellent in character:  a high standard according to the Word of God and courage

To the sisters: Proverbs 31:10 who can find a virtuous woman? 

It means the same as valor.  We live in a day when men and women are very cheap and loose with their lives and morals.  They are loose with what they listen to and how they act. 

The gospel and the old paths, the road that was designed from eternity is the special path that God designed for you.  When you come to a knowledge of Him and begin to seek after Him, there is a way to His road for you.

Heb 11:23  By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.

His mom and dad had faith in God.  Dear moms, dads, brothers, and sisters, have faith in God. 

He was hid three months by his parents:  God will move upon us as parents and as grandparents to have a strong conviction to protect our children.  I am here not to scare you but to proclaim, “Know the spirits that are trying to influence your children.”

He was a proper child:  Jesus went to the cross to redeem every child.  You may say, “That child seems to be bent.”  May your love and faith rescue that precious little soul. 

We live in a mean world.  It is a world that will destroy children at a very young age if at all possible.  It is not only mean to men but also to women.  The wonderful thing about eternity and the God of eternity, from eternity for all those that have been born, the Bible leads me to believe that before you were ever in the womb, God had a plan for you.

If you failed God until late in life, “God is a God of new beginnings.”  Don’t take the thought that God could never use you, but rather “I failed and I am going to try to help all those that I can to not fail Him.”

Walk in the old paths.  You shall find rest for your souls.

Isaiah prophesied:  Isaiah 11:10 that the effects of the rest would be glorious.  Heaven comes to earth and brings heavenly rest.

From eternity God chose the path to rest, peace, joy, edification, salvation, and sanctification.

What path are you following?  It is only fair for you to know Psalms 82 tells us that all the foundations, all the paths, of the earth are out of course.

It was prior to 1990, we were worshipping in the old church.  I remember it as if it were last Wednesday night.  Brother Nolan said, “My dad is going to come to church Sunday night would you all pray?”  We said naturally that we would.  At 10:30 that night the phone rang and we answered it. Nolan said, “My dad was flying from Missoula to Helena and his plane has not reached Helena.  We began to pray. 

We called the next morning and he said that he was going to go search.  They looked for many days and found the airplane on a mountainside outside of Helena.  It had clipped the tops of lodge pole trees.  And Nolan’s dad and a few others were killed. 

The investigation said that it was pilot error.  He had the controls set wrong.  He was an excellent pilot set to go instruct how to fly in Alaska.

For us this morning it is vital that we know that we have the controls set according to the Word of God.  There is no exception if we have the controls set wrong. 

“I think I can make it.  I am sharp, I know that it is foggy, but I am strong.”  My thought is that all the foundations of the earth are out of course.

As good as God has been to every one of us, if there is anything in your life that God has witnessed to you, “You know, you don’t have the dial set right according to the Word of God.  If you have allowed an attitude, life is designed to make you bitter.  If it were not for God I would be a bitter old man or probably in hell.  I met Jesus.  Every time that you are at a crossroad say, “I am going to follow God.”