Steps Toward A Closer Walk With God
Part 1 - Six Steps To Leaving Behind Hindrances That Hurt Us
13And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings.
INTRO. - Are you as close as you need to be? Do you want to be close to Him? Lost person, are you really happy with your life? Even if you have a great deal of happiness and satisfaction, what about the hereafter? What then? Where will you stand before God?
David was in the process here of moving the ark to his city. He has a great army to help him bring it home (30,000 men). He was trying to be careful. He was using a new cart. He had his musical band of harps, timbrels, psalteries, coronets and cymbals present. But something bad happened. God killed Uzzah when he reached and steadied the ark when it vibrated and slipped on the cart a bit. David was so upset, he stopped and went not to the city of David, but left the ark at the house of Obed-edom for three months.
Today I am looking at a scripture that tells us what he did this time when he went forward with the ark for God.
We are all like David somewhat, we know the need for certain things in our lives - like getting closer to God. Yet we often fail or come short. Even the average lost person understands he needs to move closer to God. Yet they fail. Yet we fail.
Let us look at Six Steps To Leaving Behind Hindrances That Hurt Us.
First we have…
Attachments in our lives that weigh us down
Sin's clamor and good times
Sin's "gold" ("everything that glitters is not gold")
Sin's payback (what we sow we reap) weighting us down
You never see big distance runners, why? Weight is hard to carry and run
We are almost all full of…
Busy-ness that ties us up
Work (tell about wife coming after a plant manager and pulling him out by his ear at work one Sunday)
Pleasure (We always seem to find time for the pleasurable things we want to do)
Others (Honey-do jobs, helping people, etc.)
Self (Hobbies, entertainment, eating, sleeping, etc. - yeah some are needful, but we always find time)
It is easy for us to have…
Concepts that (incorrectly) free us from responsibilities
I am as good as the next guy
God understands - He's God
I'll serve Him later
I'll serve Him soon
I'll serve Him better
I am doing the best I can
No one's perfect
I will not throw stones, but we do not need…
Doubts that keep us defeated
I am not worthy (who is?)
I am not capable (who is?) God chose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise!
I am not ready (who is?)
I am not sure (who is?)
Also in our society, it is easy to have…
Earthly goals that go nowhere for God
Top notch education
Better job
Financial stability (take no thought for tomorrow)
Nice house
Nice car
Second car
Vacation house
Etc.
And we all have…
Faults and failures that go unforgotten and unforgiven
Personal promises not kept
Certain changes not made
Good deeds not done
Several sins not confessed
No we are not perfect, we do make mistakes and we do sin, we all come short of the glory of God.
Which fits you????
I have sinned and come short of the glory of God I do not need God
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So what do we do, stay where we are?
Which fits you????
I need God in my life I do not want to change my life
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Do we not need to leave the place we are in and step closer to God?
Which fits you????
I need to be closer to God I do not want to be closer to God
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Why not step out and accept God today? Why not leave behind those hindrances that are hurtful to you? Why not step out for Him? Today?
Gary Marcum - East 38th Street Free Will Baptist - 060301am