GPS: God's Positioning System - Part A

You know the principal second Corinthians 517 for we walk by and not by right.

We walk by faith, we don't walk by sight.

We don't want by printed out agenda. We don't want my 10 year plan is nothing wrong with make a tenure plan does know if you're Christian, God has editing rights but we walk by faith, we trust him. We believe him and that's the guidance principal principle of faith.

The psalmist wrote commit your way to the Lord, trust in him and he will act. If you interested every aspect of your life to the Lord.

That's exactly what were called to do today on connect with Skip Heitzig skiff uses the apostle Paul's life to show you how God guides and lead you into today's program Skip his wife Linda Scheer about what you can do to receive God's direction for your life.

Eliezer said being in the way the Lord led by being in the way of the Lord, but I dislike that get in God's way to get in his flow, the sort of insert yourself into God's program and watch what he's going to do with you down is that you Skip and when you do if you want to hear more.

Please stay tuned after the teacher want to tell you about a great resource that explores God's character and nature and shows you what it truly means to be his friend. Someone once said that if you want to know about Michelangelo need to study what he said what he did and what he created.

The same is true if you want to know God, you must devote yourself to his words and actions and what he created. That is one of the reasons I wrote the book the biography of God. It's available now and I hope you'll join me on this noble demanding and even rewarding journey.

There's how to get your copy of my newest book, the biography of God skips new book is our thanks when you give $35 or more today to help keep this ministry on the air, call 800-922-1888, or give online securely@connectwithskip.com/offer. Okay, ask chapter 21 and skip. Isaac starts today.

Stay question how many of you have ever lost show of hands on a show of hands been lost. Okay, you've been driving her car, you didn't get the directions right here now.

Frustrated, maybe even a little frightened because you overshot it by 200 miles to know your lost. It's no fun. Imagine what it was like for the astronauts.

In 1970 and the Apollo 13 mission as it were making their lunar orbit to completely lose communication with Houston that the course was set but they couldn't for an entire night. Several hours here or talk to mission control in Houston was a very eerie feeling the astronauts set though the course was set. They heard nothing they did know what was going to happen. While a lot of change since 1970, technologically speaking.

And now they have these great things out there called the GPS I brought when I had to borrow when I should get one. I don't have one, but I think there like the coolest devices ever this works is about 24 satellites around the earth. But if you have this on to make it accurate down to 30 feet can be anywhere in the pinpoint where you are and you can put in there where you want to go there whenever I travel I usually rent our Hertz Rent-A-Car and they often will have a little GPS attached to the wheel and they call there's never lost. I like that Hertz never lost and that when you program in where you want to go and if you do overshoot it, or take the wrong turn. There's a little voice in their that says re-calculating and then it'll recalculating basically in a nice way to say you totally blew it turn around go the right direction.

Get on with the program. There's a major issue in the Christian life and that issue is guidance. How can I know God's will for my life. How can I go in the right direction and get to the right destination that God wants me to go in and if you discovered that sometimes knowing God's will is pretty obvious and easy, almost like a GPS but a whole lot of the time it's very difficult and we wonder, like Job, who said I cry out to you but you do not answer me when I was a brand-new Christian I was a little bit obsessed in strange way with the will of God for my life. I didn't know how it worked. True story.

I went into the garage I got a staff like a broom handle all we had, and I walked up to the nearest mountain by my house with a pad of paper and pencil.

Waiting to hear God's will for my life.

I'd seen Charlton Heston do it on the movie.

I thought it's gonna work for me and I sat there for quite a long time trying to figure out what I was supposed to do now is where is that was.

I actually knew someone who is even weirder than I was in this guy got in his car would drive down the street come up to a stop sign and he would pray. Should I turn right, God should I turn left Lord. Should I go straight and then he would waiting feel some kind of an impulsive cat turn right and I go down to do it like every stop sign, wanting to hear from God. I think of God were to speak audibly think get off the road. Danger how do God's people come to know his voice. What what's our GPS. How does God's positioning system work well I've had to turn to ask chapter 21. It's a great place to start because Paul feels deeply in his heart that he should go to Jerusalem, while other people around them would say not a good choice. Don't do this now as we go on with the story, we discover that because he does go to Jerusalem, he gets arrested and pretty much for the rest of his life.

He's a prisoner he's bound his ministry of traveling is completely stopped because he goes to Jerusalem, which then leaves us with the question, should he have gone or should me of God but see what happens. Chapter 21 verse 20 came to pass that when we had departed from them, and set sail running a straight course, we came to costs.

The following day to roads from there to put Tyra in finding the ship sailing over to Phoenicia. We went aboard and set sail. When we had cited Cyprus.

We passed it on the left sail to Syria and landed at Tyre for their the ship was to unload her cargo and finding disciples.

We stayed there seven days. They told Paul through the spirit not to go to Jerusalem. We had come to the end of those days we departed and went on our way and they all accompanied us with wives and children until we were out of the city and we knelt down on the shore and prayed.

We had taken our leave one of one another. We boarded the ship they return home and when we had finished our voyage from Tyre we came to Ptolemy us greeted the brethren and stayed with them one day on the next day we who were Paul's companions departed and came to Caesarea and entered the house of Philip the evangelist who was one of the seven and stayed with them. Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied and as we stayed many days a certain prophet, named Agnes came down from Judea and when he had come to us, he took Paul's belt bound his own hands and feet and said, thus says the Holy Spirit, so shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles, that when we had heard these things, both we and they from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem and then Paul answered what you mean by weeping and breaking my heart, for I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. So when he would not be persuaded.

We ceased saying the will of the Lord be done. Question is, was it verse 15 after those days, we packed and went up to Jerusalem this morning. I like to give you four components to finding your way for components to finding your way in. First is the guidance principle and we all know what that is. It's the principle of faith. Faith. Faith is what turns the GPS on so to speak. Faith gives us access to the guidance network. Lord I trust you. I believe in you. You're gonna leave me. I trust that will happen. And that's what happened with Paul.

It's important for us to go back and see the very first time this thought to go to Jerusalem came in the Paul's thinking so go back with me if you don't mind to chapter 19 just two chapters chapter 19 when this first comes up tighter worries at he's in Ephesus it's been there for a while he sees in amazing results. And he makes a declaration of faith. Chapter 19 verse 19.

Also, many of those would practice magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them in a total of 50,000 pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed when these things were accomplished. Paul purposed in the spirit when it passed through Macedonia and the kayak to go to Jerusalem, saying after I have been there. I must see Rome. Also case of these in Ephesus. He is just seen a mighty work is seen as powerful spiritual harvest. The results were good, and upon seeing them is the first declaration that he makes and it's a declaration of faith God has been so faithful here. I trust him that he wants us to go to Jerusalem and take this whole program of evangelism all the way back to Jerusalem notices, says Paul purposed in the spirit. Now my Bible is a S and most translators and scholars would say it's probably a misprinted should be as small as not referring to the Holy Spirit here referring the Paul's spirit. Paul purposed in his own spirit and that's why many translations will render this verse, Paul made up his mind.

This is a statement of faith God has been so glorious here.

Let's go to Jerusalem, he trusted that you know the principal second Corinthians 517 says for we walk by and not by that's right. We walk by faith.

Don't walk by sight. We don't walk by a printed out agenda. We don't walk by a 10 year plan, and nothing wrong with you make a 10 year plan just know if you're Christian, God has editing rights but we walk by faith, we trust him.

We believe him and that's the guidance principle, the principle of faith.

That's where Paul is that I believe deeply in my heart that this is what God wants for my life and for our team of foundational truth about guidance. Is this God wants you to know his will you believe that God wants you to know his will and I might want to phrase out another way God wants you to know that. He'll guide you in his will. You may not exactly know his will, at the time is where the faith comes in. But he wants to reveal his will to us in the Bible is filled with those promises like Psalm 37 the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delights in his way. Psalm 32. I will instruct and teach you in the way that you should go.

I will guide you with my time. Isaiah 58 verse 11 the Lord will guide you continually, so God is in the GPS business.

He guides he directs, but not in advance, not in totality, but incrementally doesn't give it to you all at one time to get the team in increments and why.

So you keep coming back to see if God would give to you a print out a computer printout of his will for your life 20 4/7 every day for the next year, you probably and I would probably take and just run with it but we don't do that we get up every day we go to God I surrender myself to you by faith directly today so you walk a little bit you get a little but I guidance you come back to him and you asking for more and this keeps us coming back and staying tethered into his will is very similar to what God told the children of Israel in the Old Testament member when he said, bringing you into the land to get rid of your enemies, God said, but I won't do it in one day or in one year. All at once, but little by little, I will drive out your enemies from before you, and this is where the adventure comes in.

That's why I believe the life of faith is the most adventurous life you could live you trust him. You don't exactly where you're going to go set of Abraham. He went out, not knowing where he was going. I think that describes a lot of us. We don't know how he's going to guide us, but we know that he promised that he would so throw out the notion that discovering God's will is a formula and if you do one, two and three. Bingo. Every time you going to discover not going to happen. There was a a pilot newly licensed. He's flying a private plane and the clouds rolled in, got really foggy. He couldn't see where he was going and he was not skilled, yet at landing by instrumentation. So is in contact with the control tower there giving them directions, he can't see their giving them directions there helping him land the plane as he's coming toward the runway. He suddenly remembered where he was at. He's in a city where there's lots of buildings below. There's lots of mountains around him. He starts getting really freaked out. Finally, the control tower said look, you just obey our instructions will take care of the obstructions. I think the Lord would say that us just follow my instructions to what I say I'll take care of the obstructions. That's faith to know what we hate that we do. Don't kid yourself. We as human beings hate the life of faith you might send will not be.

I love the life of faith know you don't like everybody else. You and I would rather see it with our eyes, figured out with our mind rather than waiting for it by faith.

And wouldn't it be great if you could always have a vision like Peter on the rooftop or dream like Joseph in the Old Testament or a bush speaking to you. Like Moses said to be clear, going on the street and the trees are sucking.

And then you go down as a bush*sorry okay this this can work I can live this way but that's living by sight. The Bible says we walk by faith and not by sight. So that's the first thing the guidance principle faith. The second component to finding your way is the guidance person. That's the Holy Spirit. This is perhaps one of the best parts go to chapter 20 you were 19. Just turn over to chapter 20.

Let's follow this whole progress toward Jerusalem and our ticket under verse 22.

Paul's left Ephesus going toward Jerusalem. He stops in Melita's and they are the Ephesian elders come and meet him at the shore. Verse 22 and see now notices I go found in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me. There, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying the chains and tribulations await me, but none of these things move me nor do I count my life dear to myself so that I may finish my race with joy in the ministry, which I received from the Lord Jesus here that I feel deeply convicted that I should go to Jerusalem, I do know what's gonna happen in the future, but I do know that the Holy Spirit has revealed to me that is not to be very pretty, very painful to be suffering in Jerusalem mentioned the Holy Spirit. Did you know that in the book of acts.

The Holy Spirit is mentioned 42 times, it's so obvious reading chapter by chapter Holy Spirit. This Holy Spirit said Holy Spirit did Holy Spirit lead that some have even called the book of acts, not the book of the acts of the apostles, but the book of the acts of the Holy Spirit because he is so intertwined in the life of the early church and in the life of the apostle Paul, the Holy Spirit's exactly what Jesus promises in it did need to tell his disciples that he was leaving, but another counselor comforter was coming and he said when the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. That's the guy we talked about guidance. We can't forget the guy is a great book that I have on my bookshelf. I've used it so many times I looked at it for so long it is falling apart. I just have pages that I just squish together.

Keep them between two books is called the fight by John White and he has some very helpful words about guidance.

He says though the Bible never uses the word guidance which is interesting in itself, it does talk about a guide though you may seek guidance. It's God that desires to give you something much better himself and deep in your heart it is a guide even more than guidance you really want is why it's a great thought can sometimes were so hung up on how is the guidance in a comment what form what sign when we have the guide living inside of us which can distort a let us relax a little bit Holy Spirit living in you as an example, let's say you went to New York City which in and of itself is an intimidating town to get around it. There you are. Your New York City rent a car doesn't have GPS, but you have a map, no map though, it's better than just trying to figure it out on your own can also be intimidated. Let's say somebody knocks on your window and says tease me, which you really look lost. I've got some time.

If you don't mind, I'll just hop in with you and I'll show you. You tell me where you want to go and I'll take you know, barring that that person is in a serial killer from New York City. That's a good plan you much rather have a guy than just the guidance in the form of a map.

That's why love GPS because it talks to you and it says in 1 mile. Turn right on I 195 N. you a little while you're almost at the off ramp turn right now so I mean you have to be like so totally disconnected from reality. To miss this thing and yet I have done it before.

That's the funny thing so the guidance principle faith. The guidance person the Holy Spirit hears 1/3 component of third component. The guidance predicament.

Other voices that come to you is or how is that than a component.

Actually, it is because sometimes the voices from other people that are what the Lord is saying to you personally helped confirm what God is saying. Sometimes it balances it out and you need to adjust directions, and other times it just clarifies that Skip message from the series the biography of God. Now let's hit it. The studio escape as they share more about what you can do to receive God's direction for your life giving their life to Christ.

Many believers, but the question how can I know God's will for my life and today we learn to find that answer must let the police guide get how can we cultivate our relationship. Holy Spirit, as we follow his leading. You know I laugh a little bit because we are a mutual friend that used to teach on how to know God's will, but it could be. He could be teaching anything in the world he would just use that title because he felt like that was the general principle of the Christian life. Determining God's will. Let me just tell our listeners good news. God wants you to do his will. More than you want to do his will.

So were all freaked out about what how can I know God's will listen God's big enough to get that information in front of your eyes and and prompt you with the with the right course of action. I love Genesis 24 the servant of Abraham named Eliezer said being in the way the Lord led me by being in the way the Lord led me just like that get in God's way get in his flow to sort of insert yourself into God's program and watch what he's going to do with you down is where I think we like to talk about it. If there's a big boulder. It's hard to get that thing moving. Then it is once it's moving to direct and so maybe you just need to get movement that makes the steps and then God cannot direct your path. That's what I get.

At Thanksgiving, I can connect with skip. I think helplessness like you for the life financial support to keep us strong Bible teaching on today to continue bringing this broadcast airway, connecting more people to the living just call 819 to 18, 1900 9288 is connected.com/connect with get.com/donate again tomorrow and skipping pictures about the fully reliable spiritual GPS Skip presentation of connection communications through