The Path - To the Life You've Always Wanted - The Path, Part 1

Whether you realize it or not. Your life is headed in a certain direction, every choice, every decision you make is another step down a particular path.

So here's the question what road are you on and does this journey lead you you really want to dance today with welcome to this edition of the mission of these programs is to intentionally disciple Christians, the Bible, after hearing chips challenge shows no wondering how I get started, how long will it take for me to find his ship started: this message will describe the role of markers quickly.

This pathway leads before we get started Living on the Edge miss any part of the series, you can always catch up.

The other chip storage of Belfour's message. The path to the life you've always wanted to start with a very very simple question and here's the question what path are you on and where is it taking you what path are you on today and where is it taking I'm on a path you're on the path network. It's an unconscious path and we have different paths and unconsciously summer on a path to fame someone a path to success summer on a path that your kids are all turn out right summer on a path and say I'm going to avoid pain and rejection like I had summer on a path to prove that your father or some significant person who said your loser is wrong some of your path to get people to like you and here's here's the thing it's it's so subtle and so deeply rooted, it affects when you get up all the little habits what you read, you hang out with what movies you watch where you go on the Internet and the accumulation of all those little habits.

That's behind this idea that you may not even be aware of these values and beliefs and some lies you're on a path and here's the thing about every path. It leads to a destination and when I ask myself so chip are you on the path that will bring what you want most in intimate relationship with God and your wife and family, friends, are you on a path that's going to create an authentic person that my relationships are real not come out of the shadows and in what I project and how I say. I am really is who I am and are you on a path that's going to allow your life to have the kind of impact that God designed for you and you know I did some deep deep evaluation in the encouraging part was in many ways someone walk with God for 40 years and in other ways. I want to pass that leads to things that I think that's not where I want to land in a couple relationships.

That's not the kind of person I want to be and I had to pause and really evaluate so what's the pattern what's the path what lies am I believing because I'm still believing in and I'm guessing everybody else is here to could you just say out loud I'm on the path. Could you say now like you mean it.

I'm on a path you are to see you don't believe that it's unconscious.

Some of your on this path that my kids at the Gartner school something on this path. I got a look like this.

Some of the on the have so much money because when I retired some of the coming and it is so deeply rooted that your life, your behavior when you sleep what you do and it's producing a life and here's a think this is a new since it knew it all might not go as it were to look at the path will bring about life and love and peace and purpose in the kind of relationships are you ready for the kind of life that you long for this. Lots and lots of Christians in the Bible, Old Testament, New Testament today.

Church history were on the right path and very gradually they strata they did not end well and it takes some real honesty and that's what were going to do today. You're on the path the wisest man in the world gave us a warning because when you're on a path unconsciously and unconsciously.

We assume that it's the right path. Solomon said there is a it seems right to a person, but it ends in anybody guess what it might be. There is a path by the way, it seems right, I'm getting up, I'm doing this I'm hanging out with these people. I watch this I'm in this job I'm pursuing this time reading this I'm watching that it seems right on with this group. These are my closest friends. There is a path that seems right to a person and it ends in death heartache divorce, separation, wayward kids addictions. See if you don't really check out and honestly say what is the pattern what's the path that I'm on the Newell never evaluate have eyestrain or am I even on the right path.

I'm gonna walk you through the path. This is the most amazing good news in all the world. This is the pathing's life.

This is the path that promises peace and right relationships, and purpose. This is a kind of path that you stay on it imperfectly.

Like all of us, you'll end your life and you will have the kind of life you always long for you ready the path is a person's Jesus. The path is an actual person. Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life.

No one comes to the father except by me. It's not a path. It's the path coming every world religion coming new agers right everyone if everyone will live like Jesus, the world would be an awesome place right I mean different religions keys the bottle. The most loving person who's ever lived in welcoming if you were married to someone that lived like Jesus every day that was kind and forgiving and other centered and worth your boss was just like Jesus, or if every employee was like Jesus every dictator of every country was like Jesus. The world will be a great place right so here's the deal, though, we also he saw how loving he is. But this is from Jesus own mouth. He's also he's the most religiously intolerant person that is ever walked the earth didn't say I am a way that you can mix with other ways. I'm the way the word of hot hot. I sits on a road on the highway on the direction he is intellectually intolerant, intellectually intolerant and say I'm a truth and there's lots of truth and you can shoot I'm the truth.

Definite article he's metaphysically intolerant me.

The holy right metaphysics in life and philosophy.

What's it all about life is such a crossroads. This loving, powerful, fully man and fully God. The path that you need to be on is the Jesus path is a person and so it's relationship with him in the guidance in the direction in the Scripture teaches, he literally will take up residence inside you by the Holy Spirit and lead and guide you.

And that's the path it's following him on the path the blaze for you and me.

Second, the path is simple, I think we get this so complicated. It's super super simple.

It's loving God and loving people. That's the path it's not religion is important is reading the Bible, coming to church doing good works all those things are periphery as an evidence you can do all those things we know and not love people and not love God for all the wrong motives not very important, but you can't yet understand the path the evidence.

What matters when the God of all eternity looks into your heart and your soul is not external activities do you love me do you love him.

Do you love her. Do you love your enemies, do you love your boss. Have you forgiven your ex when they came to Jesus and they said what's the greatest commandment trying to trick him to the greatest commandment.

He reaches back to the Old Testament love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and all your strength. Talk about surrender. This is the first and greatest commandment in the second is like unto it. Love your neighbor as yourself. So you have been appropriate self-love and your neighbor according to Jesus is all the people you come in contact, especially those in need. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

In other words, they fulfill everything we evaluate ourselves in so many ways just ask yourself in my loving what my kids say I'm loving wouldn't fellow employee say I'm loving with my heavenly father say I really love and I don't mean just and we can be feeling coming back. His definition third, the path begins with a spiritual birth mother you not born on a path you have to get on a path and many of us are password for my family of origin's and you ideas and thoughts by people. Jesus was very very clear. He's this this is a quote but he said to the most religious morally good person that we can identify all the New Testament and he said to Nicodemus, who was a priest and a super good guy and morally squeaky clean. He said truly, truly, for emphasis or verily, verily, I say into you unless you are born of water and the spirit you cannot in the kingdom of God. So here's here's a guy that if the path is being nice, being kind being religious, not sinning, not logging on the Internet not cussing. I mean figure squeaky clean and you think that get you there.

Jesus says to him physical life demands a physical birth spiritual real life with God demands a spiritual birth if you're a woman here and you had a baby when you turns your husband and you said to him, honey my water just broke.

What we know is coming to talk about here born of water, all is he saying is kids don't get born children don't get born until that water breaks and there's a birth that which is born of water, but that which is born literally a second time in his my greatest fear. My greatest fear for people all across America for people all around the world who say I'm a Christian I'm a follower of Jesus. I think there's just hundreds and hundreds and hundreds who think I go to church now I'm trying to be a good person. If my good deeds way out. My good bad deeds me.

That's how I grew up, and my concern is if you have a spiritual birth. You don't have the power you don't have a relationship with God. Jesus came from heaven to reveal what God is like little perfect absolutely perfect life and then he died upon the cross to build the bridge from us who are sinful people to absolutely holy God. I got news for you. The Scripture teaches one sin, one thought, one plus one life separates me from an absolutely pure God because he can't have, but he loved you and love me so much. Jesus came when he hung up on the cross and your sin, my sin, the sins of all people, he took any place on Christ and he absorbed them and he cut the word atonement. He covered them.

Everyone sin and all the world has been forward given in the gospel is not a do this and do that. It's an invitation. It's a proclamation you're forgiven the prices been paid. Here's issue, have you received are you willing to turn from yourself will your controlling your patterns of sin and cut say have a change of mind repentance. That's wrong. I am guilty before a holy God, and I accept this gift freely given eternal life, and when you do that the spirit of God comes into your life and the life of Christ begins to live his life out for you that's getting on the pathing born again. So Jesus is the path it's very simple it begins with a spiritual birth but the path leads to spiritual maturity. I mean any any path that your autonomy to go up to the redwoods or you go to the beach or you find a path of there's a metaphorical path every path lead somewhere, right. So the problem with a lot of Christians as they think the past start. Although I'm born again I receive Christ I'm done that's like. Can you imagine those of us that her parents little babies born little baby two years later little baby. Five years later, maybe 25 years later you know them through a lot of diapers. May you be so disappointed that baby is designed to be a toddler, a preteen or teen or young adult kids to grow up and the staff in the Christian life leads to spiritual maturity. The apostle Paul gave us his mission statement in Colossians chapter 1 he says we proclaim him.

Jesus teaching every man and admonishing every man with all wisdom, do we might present every man, every woman, every person completing Christ circle the word complete in your notes. The word is telling us the root would be like telescope is seeing something far away for you people in apologetics. The teleological argument is the argument of design. It's the idea that you grow up and fulfill what you were designed to be and you were designed.

Are you ready to actually be transformed over time. So your life, your speech, your priorities would look more and more and more like Jesus. And that's why we were called Christians. The early church that they love each other. They shared everything they were generous. They were willing to give their lives for one another better.

Once that there are lots being a Christian. It was in Antioch went when I called him that it was it was a slang term. These idiots there willing to die but they hide out these caves that talk about some guy who came back to life.

They sell their property. They help the poor. They touch lepers. Let me give me a break. There just like their founder Jesus and Paul says that that journey for us in that journey for us. Helping others called disciple making will be really hard for this purpose.

Also look at verse 29 your notes for this purpose. Also I labor, striving according to his power that mightily works within me. We had a word for gymnasium. It's a picture of a person straining underweight. It's a picture of someone reaching for the egos going to do what ever I need to do to help every single person become like Jesus. And so we gotta tell them there's good news proclamation we have to teach them so they can be classes in the small groups they have to get in the Bible for themselves.

We have to admonish with the tell them when they're doing well with not doing so well. We have to go through the difficult times with them and those of you that have grown in Christ you realize you just can't do that alone takes all of us together.

What would happen to everyone where you work or your roommate or all the people in your family if you were 25% more like Jesus, just 25% 25% more loving 25% more patient 25% more forgiving.

What would happen, you would be a catalytic something change reaction and all the people around you and what you got carried away in two years from now. You were 62% more like Jesus. By the way you're here because a group of people became more and more and more like Jesus to the point that we couldn't deny that that is the path that is the life listen to part one of the trips message the life you've always wanted to be right back with his application for this teaching is just a minute.

Do you ever wonder if you're living up to your fullest potential is there a sense, you're missing out on something better through this short series provides a clearer picture of the life God has for you and how you can get it today if you'd like to get this message for yourself or pass it on to a friend you can do both view of a chip and remap or download the free MP3 LivingontheEdge.org for complete information on the path to the life you've always wanted.

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I think it's really important that we don't just skim over maybe the main point of this entire message. Jesus himself is the path you know for some of us at least growing up the way I did in the church experience I had. I never got that. I just thought there was a set of works are being a good moral person were really trying hard to do certain things that some day some way I could please God but what we learned today is that you have to have a a spiritual birth to have a real relationship with the living God. So I just want to pause and I want to ask you, have you ever been in the words of Jesus born from above literally born again. Now I know you been born physically because you're here, but have you been born spiritually and you come to the point in your life or you've turned from your sin, recognize your need for forgiveness and ask Christ to come into your life forgive you be your savior be your Lord and then asking for the help to follow him.

The rest of your days. If, as I'm talking you realize no, I really haven't.

You might even say I think I'm a good person. You might even say I'm I am more moral than other people, and you might even say I go to church pretty regularly, but all of those things will be insufficient for you to have a relationship with God now and be with him forever.

And so right now you can receive Christ. You can be born from above is simply right now in your heart of hearts, even as I'm speaking.

Turn your mind and your heart to God and say, dear God, I need you. I admit that I do fall short of being perfect.

I'm certainly not holy in all my thinking in words and behavior and so today I ask you for your help. I admit that I fall short and I believe today that Jesus died on the cross and when he did he paid for all my sin I received that free gift right now and I invite you, Lord Jesus come into my life come into my heart make me your son make me your daughter. I believe you not only died for me, but you rose from the dead to give me new life as you prayed that not the words in themselves, but the intention of your heart.

God heard God forgave and he answered your prayer, because he said anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. Your next step is to tell someone that you know what you just did.

Maybe the next step after that is go to our website LivingontheEdge.org and get a free resource to help you grow in your faith and then find a great church that teaches the Bible this weekend and start growing. If you prayed with Chip.

I hope you'll take a minute and call us at AAA 333-6003.

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This is saying thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge