When You Have No King | The Ancient Future | Online Weekend Experience

go [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] so [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] so [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] so [Music] so [Applause] hey everybody welcome to valley creek online my name is tripp and we are so glad that you're here the online campus and the online team we're in the chat right now we would love to say hello to you hey wherever you are in the world i just want you to know hope is here there is hope for you and for your family and anyone you know so come and be a part of what god is doing like even right now in the chat you can just say hello to the rest of the online campus let us know where you're joining in from because we would love to say hello to you hey this week is a big week at valley creek actually we've got something huge happening next sunday it's going to be baptism classes and i want to make sure that you know about that see baptism is weird we declare jesus is lord and i'm going to follow him and if that's your next step we want to help you take that and in baptism class we just talk about how we're baptized why we're baptized i want to answer any question that you have and help you take that next step with jesus so sign up and let's have a great conversation and let's follow jesus together hey i also want to make sure that you know about serve the city serve the city this month is all about serving our cities like right where we are and you as the online campus god has placed you in a place where you get to carry hope but i want you to come and be a part of the online serve the city event that's happening on that saturday see we're going to get together we're going to pray together we're going to encourage one another and we're going to talk about how we're carrying hope right where we are as we before we go out and we clean up the parks and the cities and the neighborhoods so register and come be a part of that but before we get into worship i just want to pray for serve the city and more than that i want to pray for our cities so right where you are just pray with me so father thank you that we get to be your light in our cities thank you that you are filling us full with your holy spirit that we can carry the hope of jesus into our our cities and our neighborhoods that as we go and we clean up those spaces physically that you'll be healing them emotionally and you'll be healing them mentally and even spiritually you'll be helping us clean the atmosphere in clear space so that people can come to know you so father i pray that us as your hope carriers would carry the hope of jesus into our cities and into our neighborhoods so that people can come to know you thank you jesus for what you're going to do and serve the city all across the world through us as your followers in jesus name i pray amen amen hey valley creek i say it every week but it's so true we are one church that meets in multiple campuses and we carry the hope of jesus to thousands of locations so let's join in with the rest of the valley creek family right now as we worship him together [Music] all right valencia come on today we lift our eyes we flipped our faith to jesus today and remind ourselves of who he is and the promises that he has put over our lives here we go [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] i [Music] these know have no power over me fear is empty [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] my [Music] your promises never [Applause] [Music] [Music] oh your promises never fail your promises never your fail never fail your promise is never [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] in your name [Music] [Applause] [Music] in your name is [Music] [Applause] i know your is never fair your promise is never fail your promise is never [Applause] [Music] your promise is never fair thank you jesus but you stay the same you are constant we know the one promise is that when we wait on you you renew our souls our strength our life so we make the space for you today jesus [Music] [Music] where all my fears they just faded [Music] i laid down you stand in my place [Music] so i will stay here in this moment hearing your presence jesus i will wait on [Music] we make the space for you [Music] and you know my future [Music] and in every season you work for my good so we believe this [Music] so my hope is [Music] [Music] [Music] jesus [Music] [Applause] oh [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] we find mercy and salvation so let's grab ahold of those things today as we sing and believe that is [Music] is [Music] is [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] my [Music] [Music] is [Applause] here in this moment hearing your jesus [Applause] [Applause] [Music] you're renewing [Music] is [Music] so i will stay here in this moment jesus [Music] [Music] come and [Music] [Applause] [Music] clay [Music] again [Music] reasons [Music] again [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Music] he shouldered me all the way [Music] oh [Music] [Music] oh and your grace holds me now your grace told me [Music] me come on that's good [Music] come on we waited on jesus and now his presence is here and his grace is holding you and the only response left from us is to surrender and in the kingdom of heaven surrender it's not a sign of failure it's not a sign of defeat but it's a path of freedom it's a path of hope it's the path of jesus and so today man as we continue to worship choose to surrender to the grace of jesus let his grace hold you and remind you of the forgiveness and the redemption and the freedom that he has declared over you in your heart your life your family let his grace hold you now so jesus we surrender to you now we do oh here i am [Music] and as you surrender his grace washes away shame it washes away addiction it washes away depression anxiety fear worry [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] foreign i'm cause you crazy holds me holds me [Music] healed and forgiven i'm healed and forgiven [Music] one more time healed and for you [Music] so jesus thank you for that truth we surrender to your grace we receive your grace today in a new way [Music] a fresh reminder of your grace that in you jesus we have hope we have life we're healed and forgiven once we were broken but now you've given us a new heart your heart so jesus thank you that you've loved us that you have brought us in and called us your own and that you have redeemed us we are so grateful we are so honored to get to worship you we love you jesus we give you praise and thanks for all that you have done and it's in the name of jesus that every single person said amen amen hey well i'm so glad that you are at valley creek today go ahead and find your seats settle in as we continue through our service together [Music] all right hey everybody welcome to valley creek i am so glad you are here with us today all right come on let's welcome each other come on we kind of we kind of weren't sure if we were going to do it or we weren't going to do it let's just do it hey last week we started a new series called the ancient future practicing the way of jesus and my hope and my prayer for you is that this series is going to encourage you that it will challenge you that it will inspire you and help you navigate into the new season in front of you you see sometimes we have to look back before we can move forward sometimes yesterday frames tomorrow sometimes the past is the key to the future and all throughout scripture you'll find god say over and over again do not forget it says it all over the place do not forget do not forget do not forget like to every generation in every situation or circumstance imaginable god is telling us do not forget it's like he's saying do not forget me do not forget who i am and what i've done don't forget my word and don't forget my ways then do not forget how those who have gone before you have lived it's like god is telling us that there is an ancient wisdom an ancient word and an ancient way that is our path through this modern world and so what we're doing in this series is we're looking back on those who have lived before us to discover that ancient path through our modern world because if you lose sight of the past you'll lose sight of the future and our anchor verse or our theme verse for this series is jeremiah 6 where jeremiah the prophet is prophesying to his generation but it's really a prophetic word to our generation and he says stand at the crossroads and look ask for the ancient past ask where the good way is and walk in it and you will find rest for your souls that is a profound verse he says hey you're at a crossroads and there's only two paths in front of you one of those paths is the modern way of this world it is the way of comfort and convenience and pleasure and it calls out to you come let us eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die come do what you want when you want how you want this is the path of logic and reason and emotions and opinions and preferences and feelings and this is the path of least resistance and personal happiness and it is really easy to get on and it is really hard to get off but in the end it leads to destruction he says but then there's an ancient path a good way a narrow road with a small gate and this path whispers out to you come and you will find rest for your souls come lose your life and you will find it come be a servant and you'll be great come die that you might live and this is the path of greatest resistance and personal holiness and this path is really hard to get on and it's really easy to get off but this is the path of life you see we stand at a crossroads but we've always been standing at a crossroads i mean if you go all throughout the bible it's always a crossroads you go all the way back to the garden of eden it's a crossroads there's two trees the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life and then as they're going into the promised land moses recites the law to him and says today i set before you life and death now choose life jesus says there is a wide road with a broad gate that leads to destruction but there is a narrow road and a small gate that leads to life in fact paul even goes on to say don't take the way of the flesh follow the way of the spirit there has always been a crossroads in front of us two paths two choices and we are invited to take the ancient path through this modern world and even though it is the path least taken it has been deeply carved by the faith of those who have gone before us you see remember when jesus calls out to you he calls you to come and follow him to be a disciple a learner a follower one who becomes like the one that they're following like there's actually a way to live and we're supposed to follow him in fact this is why first john says whoever claims to live in him must walk as jesus did this sense or this understanding that we don't just identify with jesus we don't just know about jesus we actually follow jesus on the ancient path that he himself is walking and that is the way of life that's why we're using this little term that i love practicing the way of jesus we need to practice the way of jesus because we don't always know how to live the way of jesus and like every great athlete and every great musician and artist every great skillful worker they will tell you you need a whole lot of practice to become great that you need lots of reps to figure out how to do it well let's be honest we need lots of reps to figure out how to walk in the way of jesus we need to practice apologizing and forgiving we need to practice compassion and kindness we need to practice generosity we need to practice sacrifice and servanthood practice trust and faith and hope and love we get to practice the way of jesus and while your flesh cries out to go down that road of comfort and convenience the spirit of god within you is gently and quietly drawing you down the ancient path you see what i love about first century christians is they weren't called christians they weren't called believers they weren't called religious people they were called followers of the way that's incredible they didn't just identify with jesus they didn't just know about jesus they didn't just give lip service to jesus like they were followers of the way like they actually believed there was an ancient path in their modern world they actually believed there was a way to live that god was guiding their steps and directing their course and when they came to jesus they all came with all kinds of different political views and backgrounds and histories and family dynamics and cultures and opinions and preferences but they took all of those ways and they submitted them to the way of jesus and therefore they became followers of the way the way they lived their life was so evident to everyone around them they didn't even need to say anything people were like oh that's one of those people that's one of those ancient panthers in this modern world why because they actually believed that jesus was the ancient wisdom the ancient word in the ancient way they actually believed first corinthians 1 30 that says jesus has become for us the very wisdom of god they believe john 1 that says in the beginning was the word and the word was with god and the word was god they actually believed john 14 6 when jesus says i am the way and the truth and the life they actually believed he was the ancient wisdom word and way in the midst of their modern world so they laid down all of their preferences opinions and rights in order to walk in that way and the cry of their heart was show me your ways o lord and teach me your paths god show me your ancient way in the midst of this modern world and so when we look back on scripture what we'll find is that the people of god were always inviting god into their daily life not just this big salvation moment but like every day like how god do i make decisions today what choices do i make today how do i live today you'll find it all throughout scripture go all the way back to moses you know what moses was doing on most of his days he was going to the tent of meeting to meet with the presence of god where he would sit with god and ask god god what should i do and how should i live and how should we lead these people and where should we go and whatever god told him to do that's what he would do or how about david remember david the man after god's own heart you know what it says like almost more than anything else about david that david inquired of the lord in other words he asked god like god what should i do should i engage in this battle or not how should i respond to this situation god should i go this way or that way and then whatever god told him to do he would do it or how about the apostle paul the guy who writes most of the new testament you know it says he walked in the spirit that literally means paul the guy with all this wisdom with all this insight he literally deferred all of his choices and his opinions and his decisions to what the spirit wanted to do in and through his life or how about even jesus that says i tell you the truth the son can do nothing by himself he can only do what he sees his father doing because whatever the father does the son also does in other words jesus says hey even i don't do what i want when i want how i want i ask the father for wisdom on how to live each day and that is the ancient path of which i take and if this is the way of jesus then this is the way we're called to practice and so let me just ask you a really big question how do you make decisions in your life like right now in this season how are you making decisions how are you determining what to do or what not to do how are you deciding what choice you're gonna make or what choice you're not gonna make is the cry of your heart show me your ways and teach me your paths or is it the path of least resistance and personal happiness i mean come on we are in a global season of transition everywhere you look things are changing around us they're crumbling new things are rising there are all kinds of forks in the road at every kind of turn and as all this stuff has changed around us so many of us have gotten to this point where like we're like how now shall we live like like what do i want to do with my life in the days to come so more people in the season than i've ever seen before asking questions like do i want to keep this job do i even want to stay in this industry or do i want to go back to school and learn something else we're asking questions like do i want to live in this house or stay in this city or this state or even this nation we're we're asking questions like do i want to get married or do i want to end my marriage and no maybe we're not saying those things out loud but they're certainly percolating in here do i want to stay a part of this activity do i want to do that do i want to start a new business do i want to go here do i want to do this thing do i want to be a part of that sport do i want to make all these decisions for my kids or not and while all those are the big decisions how are you making the small decisions like should you post this on social media or not should you follow through on the commitment that you've already made how do you respond to that email that got you all worked up like how are you making decisions in this season i mean i love this verse in judges chapter 17 it says in those days israel had no king so all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes if there was ever a verse that feels like is relevant to today right everyone's just doing what's right in their own eyes we're all just looking around and just deciding what's good for me today that is the modern road of least resistance and personal happiness and here's the problem when you have no king you'll do whatever is right in your own eyes if jesus is not lord if i'm not submitted and surrendered to him as the king and his kingdom is my way then i will do whatever seems right in my own eyes why because it's about eat drink and be merry for tomorrow i die do what i want when i want how i want and so the challenge of this verse is if you're doing whatever is right in your own eyes it's because you don't have a king if your choices are based on what you want when you want how you want then in practice you actually don't have a king because the king has a lot to say about how we live i mean just think of jesus at the end of jesus's life he's about to go to the cross he sees the agony and the pain and the suffering that's ahead of him and you know what he prays he prays father if it possible let this cup pass from me but nevertheless not my will but yours that's the way of jesus not my will but yours father your kingdom come your will be done in my life in this decision in this day in this moment as it is in heaven you see if we're going to practice the way of jesus then we have to be willing to do what's right in god's eyes which means we'll do what's wrong in the world's eyes if you're really going to take the ancient path and do what's right in god's eyes you have to have the courage to then do what's wrong in the world's eyes because god tells us that his wisdom is foolishness to this world and it's kind of like you're navigating upstream up a river because everybody else is going that way and let's just go ahead and say it it's okay to acknowledge they are but it doesn't mean you have to you see so often we walk away from the ancient path for the wrong thing like see if you can catch this with me for a second like too often we walk away from the ancient path for our politics instead of walking away from our politics for the ancient path too often we walk away from the ancient path for our offense instead of walking away from our offense for the ancient path too often we walk away from the ancient path for our opinion or our preference instead of walking away from our opinion or our preference for the ancient path watched a lot of people in the last two years walk away from the ancient path for their politics opinions offenses preferences but just like the followers of the way when they first met jesus and they had to take their politics and background in history and culture and opinions and preferences and submit them to the way of jesus so do we listen to me the reason jesus says it's a narrow road with a small gate is because the only thing that can get through that gate is you by god's grace you can't bring the baggage of your politics and your background and your history and your opinion and your preference in your history it doesn't get through the gate all those things have to be submitted now to the way of jesus and it's not even saying that any of those things in and of themselves are necessarily wrong some of them are fine some of them are great but they still have to first be submitted to the way of jesus come on this is why we're not supposed to follow the way of republican or democrat real quiet there didn't it we're not supposed to follow the way of conservative or liberal we're not supposed to follow the way of progressive or traditional we're not supposed to follow the way of vax and science or anti-vaxxing conspiracy theory we're not supposed to follow the way of capitalism or socialism or of comfort or of convenience or selfishness we're supposed to follow the way of jesus hang on and now that i just probably offended everybody that's a part of this you get to practice the way of jesus and choose to forgive and believe the best and listen hang on and listen to what's actually being said no one is talking about your politics or your belief in the vaccine or not what we are saying is that those things must be submitted first to the way of jesus because far too many of us have more identity in our politics than we do with a king and his kingdom my identity is not my politics it's my king and i have to do what's right in his eyes and i know some of you are sitting here and you're thinking yeah but my belief or my opinion or my politics is the way of jesus okay but then are you practicing that belief in the way of jesus maybe your politics your belief that thing may be you may be that is the way of jesus but then are you walking that road in the way of jesus which means kindness with those who disagree with you and and compassion to those who don't see it the way that you do and no judgment in your heart to others and refusal to break relationship over things that maybe we don't get along about come on this is why jesus says give to caesar what caesar but give to god what's god's you know what's god's your attention your affection your focus your heart and your trust if i trust more in the ways of this world than i do in my king that is not the way of jesus are you with me on this yes seriously if you're sitting here and you're offended by anything that just was said i validate that that's fine but then practice the way of jesus what is the way of jesus after an offense it's forgiveness and how can you get offended when we're just saying you need to have a king and you need to do what's right in his eyes not your eyes and if you find yourself getting worse cause some of you i know some of you right now the emotions the blood pressure is rising all that stuff i'm just saying if you're getting that worked up about it all we're trying to say is follow the way of jesus that means that thing has replaced the way of jesus because i don't want to do what's right in my eyes or in the world's eyes i want to do what's right in the king's eyes and i get it some of you are sitting here and you're like but it's my life man i can do whatever i want actually it's not don't you realize that your body is the temple of the holy spirit who lives in you and was given to you by god you do not belong to yourself for god bought you with a high price you actually don't own your own life anymore as a follower of jesus the death burial and resurrection of jesus bought and paid for you with a high price you're now included in christ you're now part of the body of christ you're now part of the kingdom of god you don't get the right to decide the direction of your life anymore we're now practicing we don't always get it right practicing the way of jesus in fact that's why jesus says why do you call me lord lord and do not do what i say it's a great question lord leader master authority king ruler why do you call me lord and still do what's right in your own eyes that's practical atheism it's practical atheism which very few of us would actually acknowledge that we ever live but if i know what god says and i still choose to do what's right in my own eyes then actually i'm living like i believe that god doesn't exist and god's not telling you what to do because he wants to control you he's a good shepherd who wants to lead you into green pastures and he is the light who wants to lead you out of darkness this is the ancient path in a modern world because no matter how much we would like this to not be true there is a way that seems right to a man but in the end it leads to death there's a lot of things that look really good to you and me but actually they're the road of destruction come on think of for a second with me think of a map app a map app you're with me on that an app on your phone that you press and you program the directions of where you want to go it's a fascinating little tool and what it does is it takes all the live time information of traffic and weather and construction all live time it puts it all together and then it gives you one of those little blue lines and says this is the best way to get to where you want to go there are two types of people there is like my wife who presses the green button when that comes up and says go and then there are people like me who look at it and are convinced there's still a better way than that blue line offers apparently you think that way too okay well think of god for a second god knows everything about you and your circumstance in your situation he has all the lifetime information of all the things that you don't have access to he knows why you were created what his plans and purposes for you what your destiny is and where he ultimately is trying to get you to go so when he gives you a blue line the ancient path it usually looks like the longest hardest most difficult way forward because it is because it's the ancient path of great resistance but personal holiness and it's the question of do we trust him or not do we trust him enough or not to press the green button and follow i mean do you remember when peter is he had fished all night and he didn't catch anything and jesus comes and he gets in peter's boat and he begins preaching to the crowd and after jesus is done preaching he looks at peter he says peter put out into deep waters and let down your nets for a great catch and peter looks at jesus he's like jesus we fished all night we didn't catch a single thing we've cleaned everything up we've put it all away you're a carpenter man you don't know anything about fishing but because you say so lord i will do it and he rose out into deep water in the middle of the day drops his net down it's so full of fish then that begins to break hits his knees because he realizes who jesus is and jesus says don't be afraid from now on you're not gonna fish for fish you're gonna fish for men okay that's the way of jesus because you say so i will do it i don't like it it doesn't make sense it's uncomfortable it's inconvenient i don't think i can do it i think it's the worst way forward i don't want anything to do with this no one's going to understand it it's foolishness i might lose my job it's not going to make sense how are these people going to understand it but because you say so lord i will do it and when i do that i'm actually positioning myself for my destiny i'm positioning myself for supernatural breakthrough and divine insight and supernatural wisdom and solutions and and and and and breakthroughs that can only come from heaven because only god can bring streams in a desert and away through a wilderness come on this is why we as a church one of the things we say we've always wanted to follow the cloud all that means is it's a picture from the old testament where they followed the presence of god a pillar of cloud and wherever it went that's where they went that's what we've done for years do you understand that it is but practicing the way of jesus before we use the term practice the way of jesus it's like whatever god asked us to do we would just do it and so many times it was foolishness it didn't make sense it didn't align with what everyone else was doing it was uncomfortable it was inconvenient there was sacrifice and servanthood involved but it was always leading us on the path of life so that we could find rest for our souls does that make sense to you i mean look what jesus says or actually what isaiah says for my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways declares the lord as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts see if you can catch this with me what god is saying is that our ways and our thoughts are not his ways and his thoughts his way his thought is higher than our way and our thought which means we don't by nature understand his ways or his thoughts we have to learn them we have to practice them and if you've ever thought about repentance for a moment do you ever stop and just ask yourself like ultimately what is the purpose of repentance like what is the what is the purpose of repentance some of us are going to say well it's about salvation or getting to heaven someday that's a part of it but the purpose of repentance is so that you can learn to think like god repentance means to change your mind means to come into agreement and alignment with what god has said repent re go back pent penthouse top floor view go back and get god's perspective on that decision that situation that thing whatever it might be and so as we begin to repent change our thinking which ultimately will change our direction we'll get off of the world's ways and the world's thoughts to get on the ancient path with god's thoughts we're actually starting to learn to think like god and the more i begin to repent the more i start thinking like god and the more i start thinking like god his ways start to become my ways the bible tells us that you have the mind of christ that the spirit of the living god is inside you that the kingdom is within you well if that's true then we were actually created to be able to learn how to think like god and walk in god's ways but this is why repentance is so important because as we repent from sin or ungodly beliefs or worldly perspectives or our pride or our opinions or our preferences what we're doing is we're saying i don't understand this i don't get it but god you think it so i want to think it you live it so i want to live it and as i start having the faith to walk in god's ways i start thinking his thoughts and the more i think his thoughts the more i have the faith to walk in his ways repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand change your mind start to think like god because the whole kingdom is right here in front of you that's why romans 12 says do not be conformed to the pattern of this world don't think like the world and walk in the world's ways instead be transformed by the renewing of your mind change your thinking you'll start to think like god then and only then will you be able to test and approve what god's good pleasing and acceptable will is in other words the more you learn to think like god the more you actually want to walk in his ways show me your ways o lord teach me your paths i want to be someone who thinks like god and the more i think like god the more i'll walk in his ways and some of you are probably sitting here and you're like yeah that'd be great i would love to ask god for what to do in my life but i don't know how to hear his voice listen to me the heart to hear god's voice is far more important than how you hear god's voice the desire for actually god's wisdom and his thinking in the past that you should go on is far more important in fact this says whether you turn to the right or to the left your ears will hear a voice behind you saying this is the way walk in it right now in this moment you are hearing from god whether you realize it or not this tells us whether you're on the modern road of the world or the ancient path of jesus you are still hearing his voice he is speaking to you which means no matter how dark you may feel today there is always a way out in jesus the question is do you have a heart to hear it and a faith to walk in it this is why it says speak lord for your servant is listening this is the heart of someone who wants to walk the ancient path speak lord i'm your servant i'm listening because you say so i will do it in fact jesus when he says for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction and many enter through it but small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it this sentence grabbed me this week only a few find it why because only a few are looking for it hear me we don't drift onto the narrow road you don't wander onto the narrow road you don't accidentally wake up one day and you're just on the narrow road no you you look for it you seek it you pursue it you're intentional about it the reason many enter through the road that leads to destruction is because that's what we wander onto that's what we drift to that's what we we slowly just kind of wake up and find ourselves on which is why i've been telling you all year this is the most important year of your spiritual life because if you are not actively seeking the narrow road in the ancient path you are drifting to the modern road of this world are you are you looking for it that's the heart to hear and when you have a heart to hear you can be confident that god will speak to you and some of us we get stressed out like how do i know it's god well this is a filter we've used for years here if you're trying to hear the heart of god for your life for your decisions and you're like is it god just ask these questions number one does it align with god's word a word of god once spoken continues to be spoken god writes like he speaks and he speaks like he writes so he will never contradict himself so if he's speaking something to you and it contradicts his word what he's already said it's not from god if it aligns with what he has already said you can start moving forward because it's from god second question is does godly counsel confirm it do godly people who are walking with god and with you confirm that that's from the lord or are you just trying to get people from three states away five churches ago who knew you 25 years ago to just say yeah you should move this godly council who is actively involved in your life who is actively walking with god say yep that's from the lord someone who's willing to tell you no that's not from the lord third thing is there a sacred echo are you hearing it from god over and over and over again in a variety of circumstances or situations fourth thing just doesn't require faith because the narrow road requires faith without faith it's impossible to please god anything that's not done in faith is sin romans 14 tells us so if it requires no faith it's probably not from god and then the last thing is just does it lead you towards jesus is that decision that invitation that thing is actually leading you and your family closer to jesus because i think a whole lot of us sometimes we will see this great opportunity to make five thousand dollars more by uprooting our entire family and our wife and our kids dads this one specifically for you are actually involved and engaged in growing with god but we see five thousand dollars more six states away and we just decide that's the lord we're moving there is that actually leading you closer to jesus or how about sports if all of a sudden i'm gonna get involved in all these sports but i can never again gather with the people of god on a sunday you just sometimes have to stop and ask yourself the question is that actually leading me towards jesus or away this is why it's two roads we create a third road there's no third road there's the modern road of this world there's the ancient path of jesus there is not a i'm a lukewarm christian road it doesn't exist we think it does and we trick ourselves as if it does to make ourselves feel good about ourselves listen to me it is so much healthier for you to just flat out say i'm just going to take the road of the world for a while that is way better for you you're like now i am offended here's why because at least you're being honest with yourself and it requires humility and honesty to actually have a breakthrough you got to get to the end of yourself down this road of destruction and not convince yourself that you're straddling both worlds they're followers of the way there is no middle road there's an ancient path there's a modern road this is the road that is this road that has no king because we do what's right in our own eyes not sports not taking a pay raise hear what i'm saying right listen last thing inviting god into your daily life on how to make decisions is the ancient path and where we get so confused is we think it's all about the destination we think the decision is about actually the decision like should i move or shouldn't i should i take this job or shouldn't i should i get on this sports team or shouldn't i it's actually not about the destination it's about how we invite god into our life as we make the decision every situation and circumstance and decision and choice in front of you is an invitation to practice the way of jesus not the destination of jesus he doesn't say i am the destination the truth and the life he says i am the way like there's a way to live in this moment in fact our verse stand at the crossroads and look ask for the ancient paths ask where the good way is and walk in it and you will find rest for your soul it doesn't say ask for the ancient destination or the good destination it says ask look seek for the path and the way. it's practicing the way of jesus which you say what does that mean it means i'm inviting god into my life and i believe that he is good and that he will speak to me and that i will trust him regardless of what he says that i have a faith to follow even if i don't like it that i will obey because he is my king and he is lord that i will submit and surrender this decision this moment this this hope or this hurt that i have in my heart to him and let him lead me that i may find rest for my soul you stand at a crossroad affect every decision in life is to choose to continue down the ancient path or to choose to continue down the modern road of this world whichever one you're on and at any point in time you get the freedom to change and so daily it's about inviting god into my life to say god today show me your ways and teach me your paths no like like some of you are like i don't have big decisions i'm good no that's not what i'm talking about like today show me your way and teach me your path show me the ancient path through this modern world but lord there feels like there's so much resistance over there and it's scary and it's uncomfortable and you're telling me i'm gonna have to serve and die to myself so i don't know that i want to take it but you say it leads to life and i need some rest in my soul so help me have the courage and the faith to follow you on the path that you've already carved out for me so you close your eyes with me come on watch the holy spirit saying to you today what's he whispering in your heart in your mind the way of jesus is about inviting god into our life letting him be our king doing what's right in his eyes because we have to but because he gives us the grace to come on what decision is looming in your life what choice do you need to make what daily reality are you struggling with that is a crossroad where we can ask for the ancient path where we can ask for the good way and his voice will speak and then we just have to have the courage and the faith to follow so holy spirit i pray that you would speak to our hearts that you would show us your ways and teach us your paths that with humility and with hope we would take the road less traveled knowing it has been deeply carved by the heroes of the faith that have gone before us knowing that you have already made a way and it's not about a destination but practicing the way of jesus at every turn at every juncture at every crossroads lord i pray that we would become followers of the way and submit all of our backgrounds and cultures and history and upbringing and politics and opinions and beliefs to the lordship of jesus would you come be our king and lead us down the path where we do what's right according to your eyes and find rest for our souls thank you jesus that you are the way in your name we pray amen let's be a people that follow the ancient path that follow the narrow road let's be a people that follow the way of jesus hey if you need prayer for anything i want you to know that we've been praying for you but we would love to pray with you so you can click on this link or ask for it in the chat and let us go to the father with you for anything that you need and if this is your campus or if you're new here we would love to connect with you you can go to our this link right now and fill it out so that we can help you take a next step here at valley creek church if you've come ready to give you can give online but i pray that you would go this week knowing that god is good that jesus has forgiven you that you are loved and that everything is possible have a great week so [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] so [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] do [Music] [Music] do [Music] do [Music] do [Music] [Music] do [Music] [Music] you

Channel: Valley Creek Church

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Id: FDLZHXf5iSI

Length: 81min 1sec (4861 seconds)

Published: Sun Sep 12 2021