GOING A NEW WAY WITH THE LORD

Exo
14:15 And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me?
speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:

Josh
3:4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two
thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know
the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way
heretofore.

Exo
33:14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give
thee rest.

LIKE
A LITTLE SHIP

It's
almost gone; short hours now,

this
year will soon be past.

'Twill
be, like other yesterdays,

laid
to rest at last.

For
those who used it well, it goes

like
a little ship set sail

O'er
waters peaceful peaceful and serene,

not
fearing stormy gale.

It
glides toward time's horizon,

then
disappears from view.

We
check its cargo, left behind,

of
blessings, quite a few.

Then,
even as we watch, it seems

a
ship with sails so white,

drops
anchor in the harbor

on
this New Years' Night!

We
wonder at its' cargo,

piled
high upon its' deck;

And,
will it leave still bright and clean,

or,
a pitiful old wreck?

Its'
cargo is a marvel.

Each
package is a day,

to
hold what YOU put in it.

It
holds whate'er YOU SAY!

f.c.c.

Illustration;
The wagon train pauses at the foot of the imposing mountains. The
guide warns of hard trails ahead but passable. The people look south
to the broad, easy path of the plains and go that way, not realizing
that the Valley of Death lies that way.

I.
The command,"Go forward." Milling around and murmuring
will accomplish nothing.

A. A
few of the ways God's people need to forge ahead.

1.With
an ever widening vision. Even to becoming leaders in the work.

2.In
greater fields of service. Allow new laborers to have room to work.
Strive to be better at what you do.

3.Go
forward in study and knowledge.

4.
In witnessing and soul winning.

5.GO
FORWARD WILLINGLY!

II.
The Caution. "Ye have not gone this way heretofore."

A.
New days bring new dangers. Satan is continually coming up with new
ways to trap God's people.1 Pet 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant;
because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about,
seeking whom he may devour:

B.
New opportunities to serve bring with them the possibility of
failure.

1
Cor 2:3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much
trembling.

C. A
New Path. But Christ is our Scout who knows the trail!

Heb
6:19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and
steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

Heb
6:20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an
high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

Heb
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,

Heb
12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who
for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the
shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

III.
The Promise. "My presence shall GO with you!" {Note; the
promise is conditional upon GOING!]

A.
The promise of his presence always follows the obedience to the
command.

Mat
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:

Mat
28:20 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.

B.
Five times God promises,"I'll never leave you nor forsake you."
At other times his promise comes by inspiration through others.

1.Promise
to Jacob in Bethel. Gen 28:15 And, behold, I am with thee, and
will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee
again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have
done that which I have spoken to thee of.

2.To
the people as they prepare to posses the land .Deu 31:6 Be strong
and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD
thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor
forsake thee.

3.To
Joshua as their leader. Deu 31:8 And the LORD, he it is that doth
go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither
forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.

4.To
Joshua as he receives his commission. Josh 1:5 There shall not
any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I
was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor
forsake thee.

5.
David's assurance to Solomon as he prepares him for the work ahead.1
Chr 28:20 And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good
courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even
my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee,
until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of
the LORD.

6.The
prophecy of his presence with his people today. Isa 42:16 And I
will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in
paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before
them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them,
and not forsake them.

7.Even
in material blessings to the individual who serves God! Heb 13:5
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with
such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee,
nor forsake thee.

Heb
13:6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will
not fear what man shall do unto me.

This
assurance has enabled God's people to continue in the face of all
adversity down through the ages even when all hope seemed gone!.
Abraham and Israel, in Egyptian captivity, Peter in prison and Paul
in every situation, even aboard a sinking ship. Martyrs,
missionaries, churches and individual children of God.

IV. A New Way
lies ahead. There are 365 peaks to climb and perhaps as many valleys
to traverse. Will you walk this path alone or will you claim Jesus as
your companion? Choose others and you might find that when the path
gets rough you are walking it alone but choose Him and have as your
companion, not only Him but all others who love him and his Word!