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Pastor David Mitchell
Let's pray. Father, we thank you for this time to be together with you and with each other.
At time of the week, we come together for the assembly, and Lord, we have wonderful times with you alone, but you've ordained that we would have wonderful times with you together.
We thank you that today is such a day. We thank you that you blessed with your power in Sunday school and in the music, and we ask that you would do the same in the sermon that you would teach us with your
Holy Spirit would teach us things both of old and new, and that you would cause us to be ready for this week.
We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. God is the way. He is not just as he manifest himself in Jesus Christ.
He was not just an example, not just a pointer, not just a religious method, not a choice against a lesser or better thing.
He was not just the right way versus the wrong way. He was not even just the way shower, but he is the way, and we've discussed this from several points of view so far.
We've talked about the illustration of the fact that Jesus was the way as illustrated in the ark during the great flood.
It was illustrated in that he is the way by the cloud and the fire with the children of Israel in the wilderness, and also he was the rock that Moses stood upon when he got to see the back side of God, and then last week we began to look at this from the point of view of in our lives from a practical point of view.
The written word is very important in showing us the way. The living word is the way, and then lastly we will discuss this from the point of view of the sovereign
God. Last time we talked about the written word. I'll just give you one verse to review that.
Joshua 1 .8, This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein.
For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
We talked about last time when our way meets God's way. There's so much prosperity preaching today, and everything from modern psychology to wishful thinking to speaking it, and it's so.
All of these things are used in our churches, and yet the Bible says that if you want to make your way prosperous that you must meditate in the word day and night.
Now I want to start a new point in this outline this morning. Let's move into the living word.
Turn to Judges chapter 2 for me in verse 19. The written word is all important because it's objective.
It's in our lap. It's here on the planet earth in space and time, and we can see it.
But it is only ink on paper unless you have a new nature, and unless it is connected vitally with the
Holy Spirit in one. And then it leaps off the page, comes into your hearts.
Jesus Christ said, in fact, I will come to you and be with you. I will not leave you without a comforter, and that comforter will make these words come to us from the very mind and heart of God.
Judges chapter 2 verse 19 will begin to discuss the importance of the living word and the present work of Jesus Christ in our lives if we are to be in the way, for he is the way.
And it came to pass when the judge was dead that they returned and corrupted themselves more than their fathers in following other gods to serve them and to bow down unto them.
They ceased not from their own doings nor from their stubborn way. Now let me stop here before we go, and we're just going to read three or four verses in this little passage.
But when you look at this judge and it says the judge is dead, I want you to remember the two verses in the
New Testament that say everything that was written in the Old Testament was written for us in the last days as in samples.
Always look for Jesus in the Old Testament. Always look for the spiritual truths that you've learned in the
New Testament in physical examples in the Old Testament. And when we see here that the judge is dead, the judge was the leader of course in that day.
He was a charismatic leader that God would raise up and cause to bring his people back to God after they had backslidden away.
Prosperity had taken advantage of them. They had begun to look at the things around them rather than God who gave them the things.
They weren't thankful any longer, and they would usually go into captivity. And then God would raise up a judge who would bring the word of God to them first and then bring them out of captivity.
But when the judge is dead is a picture of when we're walking in the flesh. Because I would say this, that Sunday school lesson today by the way was tremendous, and I have had to pray for composure just to make it through this after that.
But I must act as if that prayer has been answered and continue with a dry eye if possible.
But when we look at walking in the flesh, we reckon as though the judge is dead, as though our
Lord is still in the grave and never came out that third day. We reckon as if when he said, my
God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? That God forsook him forever and never raised him from the grave.
We reckon that when he bowed his head and gave up the ghost that he died forever.
The judge is dead. Then we begin to walk after the flesh which is dead.
But since we are not believing God, we believe Satan who by the way is just very similar to Saul.
Do you remember when God sent the prophet to tell Saul he was removed from the throne?
And the prophet went to tell David that you are now anointed king of Israel by God himself? I would ask you a question, did
Saul leave the throne immediately? He did not. He usurped the throne even though he was dead to it.
And that's exactly what Satan does to us today. And the flesh does this to us today.
And the world philosophical system will do this to us today. They will attempt to usurp the throne in your life.
But the fact is they have been removed and God has anointed a new king in your life, the
Lord Jesus Christ. When we get into the flesh, we act as if the judge is dead.
And it says then they return and corrupted themselves more than their fathers in following other gods to serve them and to bow down unto them.
They cease not from their own doings nor from their stubborn way.
But you know, I believe Brother Otis' strong teaching on the sovereignty of God. I hope everyone will be here for the afternoon service because I think it's my turn and it's going to be a real emphasis on that aspect of God.
This is the verse we're studying this afternoon. But I would say this, that when you act as if the judge is dead and you go out to follow other gods and you cease not from your own things, your own doings, and your stubborn way, you still cannot change
God's sovereign plan. But you know what you can do? You can lose all your joy because you're still doing exactly what he wanted you to do and you're getting no reward for it.
And your heart is hurting and you have backed off of the line that pictures your walk with God and slid down to here and now you're wasting time in the true sense of the word.
Because you are doing and acting right on God's schedule but you're doing it without your heart being in it.
Because your heart is looking after other gods because you have counted Jesus dead to yourself for a moment.
Now if we're born again this morning that is a moment. It only can be a season because God will always rise up a judge, bring us the word which will bring us back to God and we get right back on the line.
We go back where we left off because the prophet who brings you the word is going to take you back to show you where you got off the track and you'll get back on and go.
And it's a continual lifestyle of getting back on and going. And the more you grow closer to the
Lord and you find yourself in his way with your heart then the less you have to get off that line.
Like my dear brother Rocky said there's no place in the bible that says you have to sin today.
Probably will he said but you don't have to and you're not supposed to. And God has given us the equipment and the fitting he has made us fit to walk this walk by his holy spirit in our life by the word that we can go to every day and woe be unto us when we get off that track.
Just like the bible said in the sunday school this morning if we're dead to Christ God forbid that we should walk any longer in the flesh.
So when we do we count the judge as if he's dead. That's blasphemous in my book.
We should come back to him with a heart contrite heart and with tears in our eyes and say
I counted you as if you're not even alive. You know the bible teaches that that is the truest and most pure form of tempting
God. I'll preach on that some other day. I've done it before if you've been here a while. That is the truest way of tempting
God is to act as if he is not present in your temple when we know that he is.
And look what happens they cease not from their own doings nor from their own stubborn way.
So we see idolatry we see selfish gain coming into their life and we see stubborn pride.
In verse 20 we see the wrath and anger of the Lord which was hot against Israel.
I've heard teachers teach that God's wrath cannot come upon his own children only on the lost.
And they haven't read verse 20 because his anger can come upon his children.
Have you ever been angry with your child? Did you ever spank them in anger?
Modern day psychological teachers of child rearing teach you never spank them in anger go off count to 10 and come back.
And yeah in that way they never know how angry you are at their sin. God always spanks his children in anger.
Now I will say this though he is God so he can handle that. So don't ever spank your child when you've totally lost it.
Count to five at least maybe not 10. It never hurts for you to let them see that you're angry especially you dads.
They need to see that anger in the dad. Especially if he comes home and mom says honey you need
I need some help you need to go talk to June. They need to see that. But these people of God saw it and the anger of the
Lord was hot against Israel. And he said because that this people have transgressed my covenant which
I commanded their fathers and have not hearkened to my voice. And that's the key because that's the personal relationship the hearing of his voice.
I also will not henceforth I will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which
Joshua left when he died. Now hang on to that little thought a minute.
I will not drive out any more of the enemies he says. Hang on to that a minute. And he goes on and he says that through them that is through the enemies that God left in the land
I may prove my people. Whether they will keep the way.
Now look at that phrase because that's what we're studying the way am I in the way. I will prove them by the enemies that I left in the land.
Whether they will keep the way of the Lord to walk therein as their fathers did keep it or not.
Therefore the Lord left those nations without driving them out hastily. That implies he is in the process of driving them out.
Neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua. I will guarantee one thing is certain this morning.
God has left nations in your life and mine to prove us. He did not hastily drive out every problem we would have.
Every encounter with the enemy. Every hardship. He did not hastily drive the enemy away from us because he uses them like a pawn on a chessboard to prove us.
To prove us to ourselves and that's what most people miss. Most people think he's saying
I'm going to prove you to me. God is omniscient. God knows. God is.
You need to see in your life whether your walk is real or not and the best thing that will bring that to happen is the enemy.
The enemy is the world. The world system. The flesh. Satan and his people that he controls all around us and even his demons.
All of this was not totally driven out of the land hastily. He left some here so that we might prove our walk.
Now as we do this it brings fear into our hearts. It brings us to know that we're in a battle.
Many of you saw the tape on CBS where they showed the British newsman have his head chopped off by the
Arabs. Anybody see that? Raise your hand if you saw it. They aired it. Did you see it?
They aired it. A lot of people got angry about that including the young man's parents but I'll tell you what it did.
It reminded America. It's been a while now since September hasn't it? It reminded America that the enemy that we face is evil and hates us with a cruel hatred and will chop your head off in a moment.
Don't think it's just a Jewish newsman he would have done that to. A Christian newsman the same things would have happened.
Maybe even sooner. And so what God has done he has left the enemy in the land surrounding us everywhere we walk.
In the grocery store, to the mall, to the post office, everywhere you go on the radio, on your television set, in some of the music.
It's all around because it constantly brings to our remembrance the fierce hatred with which the enemy detests
Jesus Christ and all who belong to him. Lest we walk in a sloppy way and not be watchful and move away from him and count him as if he's dead and the enemies then come in.
God has rules just as sure as the rules that govern nature, the laws of gravity and so forth.
He has rules out there. And when the Christian moves away from his oneness with the
Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of Jesus Christ and willfully moves away from that the enemy has a right to move in on the flesh.
Not the new man but the flesh. Just as is illustrated throughout the
Old Testament as a physical example of what can happen to us here. Now with that fear as a starting place we move into the fact that Jesus said
I am the way. We cannot walk through this minefield that the enemy has set up and put in place for us and our children.
And you're very naive, ladies and gentlemen, today I speak to my public out in the tape world where Brother Raymond passed them around.
You're very naive if you think that Satan is here to attack Satan's seed. Why would he attack his own?
Even Jesus said the house that's divided will fall and flying specifically that Satan will not divide his house.
It's the church that divides our house. We get division over one little word said wrong sometimes but since we love each other we get right.
Boy you bring in some pairs that don't have that love and it gets nasty. But as we think with fear of the enemy then as we move in and understand what
Jesus meant when he said I am the way we pay strict attention.
We're not at ease. We're ready to salute. We're ready to listen to our judge as he walked by the
Lord Jesus as he walked as a military leader of his soldiers. Now we're paying attention because he has warned us of the deadliness of the enemy.
Turn with me if you would to Proverbs 85 and we'll begin to see
Jesus the way. I'm sorry
Psalm. Did I say Proverbs? Psalm 85. That might be a problem.
I have to write my notes because when I put my roadmap there I put Proverbs. Psalm 85 verse 1.
To the chief musician this was written. This was written to be expressed as song to music to the people so that they might remember it.
Did you know that sermons are forgotten by noon and songs are remembered for life.
A psalm of the sons of Korah. Lord thou has been favorable unto thy land thou has brought back the captivity of Jacob.
See it's a process a cycle of prosperity acting as if God is dead going into slavery and then being brought back from captivity.
Thou has forgiven the iniquity of thy people. Thou has covered all their sins say law. Thou has taken away all thy wrath.
Remember that hot anger that we talked about? It is removed. Thou has turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.
Now turn us O God of our salvation and cause thine anger toward us to cease.
You see who does the turning? So much propaganda is out there today about revival that we must cause revival to happen in America.
Only God can turn us and God turns us when he's ready to turn us after we've learned the lesson that we needed to learn.
But he does turn his people back. When we go on a backsliding rampage of a day or a moment or a season
God turns us back. If he didn't no telling what path we would continue down for a long long season.
He turns us again. O God of our salvation cause thine anger towards us to cease.
Wilt thou be angry with us forever? Wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? Wilt thou not revive us again that thy people may rejoice in thee?
Revival is of the sovereign God. Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him.
And I want you to see the word, the living word in the Old Testament here. You're about to see him.
That glory may dwell in our land. Surely his salvation is nigh them that glory may dwell in our land.
Mercy and truth are met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed each other and the only place in human history you will ever find that is on the cross.
It is the only way that God could have and the only way that God would have reconciled his wrath and propitiated himself and his justice because of the sins of his people.
It occurred on the cross. Righteousness and peace kissed each other.
Mercy and truth were then able to live together. Yea the
Lord shall give that which is good and our land shall yield her increase. Righteousness shall go before him and shall set us in the way.
Who is this righteous one? He is the way and he says righteousness will go before us as a leader, as our guide, as the cloud and the fire, as the ark.
We are in Jesus Christ. We are in his righteousness and he goes with his righteousness before us before we ever know where we're going.
He's already there. We're going to be there and he shall set us in the way of his death.
Hallelujah. Now hopefully this next one really is Proverbs chapter 8.
We'll see the living word come to us again from the Old Testament. Proverbs chapter 8.
Let's start with verse 17 for sake of time. I love them that love me.
This is Jesus personified by the way. Wisdom personified in the life of Jesus Christ.
I love them that love me. Notice he didn't say I love everybody. He loves his own and he even has to cause us to love him back which is awful isn't it?
But isn't it wonderful at the same time because he does so and he has taught us.
He's given us a responder hasn't he? A receiver and a transmitter and is tuned into his frequency.
I could go on with that all day. That's a pretty good rabbit trail. Get that from brother Otis. I love them that love me and those that seek me early shall find me.
Riches and honor are with me. Yea durable riches and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold.
Yea then find gold and my revenue is better than choice silver. Saying about that this morning once already.
But you see you don't need prosperity preaching if people could be taught just to walk in the way.
I lead in the way. You see that? I lead in the way of righteousness in the midst of the paths of judgment that I may cause.
That means he is sovereign. Those that love me to inherit substance and I will fill their treasures primarily spiritual for us today but also he will take care of us physically.
The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way before his works of old.
I was set up from everlasting from the beginning or ever the earth was. Verse 26 while as yet he had not made the earth nor the fields nor the highest part of the dust of the world when he prepared the heavens
I was. When he set a compass upon the face of the depth I was.
Verse 30 then I was by him as one brought up with him I was daily his delight rejoicing always before him rejoicing in the habitable parts of the earth and my delights were with the sons of men and they still are
Jesus Christ God's only begotten son Jesus the son of God and the son who is
God that one his affinity is towards the men on the earth his men this is predominantly his realm he walks in us he is the way and he has had that desire and that delight since before anything was made rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth and my delights notice whose earth it is it's the father's earth it's the father's cosmos for God so loved his cosmos that he sent his only begotten son to die for it and my delights were with the sons of men now therefore hearken unto me oh you children for blessed are they to keep hear instructions and be wise and refuse it not blessed is the man that heareth me watching daily at my gates waiting at the post of my doors that is our responsibility you are not going to get out of God's will
I agree with that brother Otis but you won't be blessed when in your heart and mind you go the way of a backslider you won't be blessed but if you stay at his gates and the post of Jesus door and you sit down and you cross your legs and you sit there as a little child and you just wait for him to come out and then you move very similar to the children of Israel who were supposed to stay in that tent and stay at the tent and not move the tent until the cloud or the fire moved and then they moved with it and they took everything they had with it that's a picture of you and the fact that you still live in the flesh yes it's not saved yet yes it's still pulling against everything wants
God wants to do and that you want to do but it is a tent that you live in you pick that sucker up and you move it when
God moves you don't let the tent tell you what to do and where to live and how to be he watches daily at my gates waiting on the post of my doors for whosoever findeth me findeth life and shall obtain favor propitiation with the father but he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul all they that hate me love to die chapter 13 verse 6 says righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way that means
Jesus which is righteousness personified Jesus the righteous one keeps him that is upright that's the saved child in the way because he is the way but wickedness overthrow it sinner
I think as we study through the scriptures we more and more recognize that Jesus Christ is not just a way pointer but he is in fact the way
I don't really think this morning we have time to go into third point so I'll save it and it has to do with the sovereignty of God and the way his way we'll talk about it next time but today
I want us to go home with the thought of waiting at his gates and the post of his doors before we move anywhere and when we move we're moving in him we are walking in him our way whether it be of prosperity whether it be of hardship whether it be of peace and the wonder of being with your family or your children or going through the darkness and the shadow of death of the loss of a loved one wherever we find ourselves in this pilgrimage we are in the way so long as we are one with the spirit and that's our responsibility
God has taken his only son to the cross and forsaken him so that you and I don't have to ever for one moment be in that aloneness how dare we count our judge as if he can father we thank you for your powerful word powerful when it's sung powerful when it's spoken in fellowship among brothers it's powerful when it's in the assembly we thank you that your holy spirit is here guiding and teaching and moving and comforting where you must prepare us for these last days our children of course this next generation they grow up in a an