Psalm 23 series, part 6. Preached by Chris Broom, 11/4/2007

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Peggy Diaz (center) gets baptized!

Paths of Righteousness - Outline

This continues our Psalm 23 series, The Lord Is My Shepherd.

Proverbs 25:25 Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.

Report: “The Gathering” The 1st European Missions Conference: By Kip McKean

On the weekend of October 19-21, God gathered in London, England more than a hundred souls from as far away as Canada, Estonia, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Poland, Pakistan, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United States and of course England! God’s new movement of sold-out disciples is rapidly spreading, as disciples from Paris have decided to join us and start a Bible Talk this week in the heart of continental Europe!

Friday night I was privileged to speak on the theme of “The Dream.” Jesus’ dream was to change the world by giving every man and woman an opportunity to have a personal relationship with God, and thus eternal life. Particularly moving to me was the preaching and testimony of Lance Underhill, one of our shepherds at the City of Angels Church. He shared that his prayer and dream was that all of his four children would be baptized, and they were! Yet, when lukewarmness came into the church and then into his life, each of his children fell away. As a victory story, three of the four are now in the City of Angels Church and the other son, upon his return from Iraq, wants to be a disciple with us as well! (Dave Cadell has returned from Germany and we are planning a Campus / Singles New Year’s Eve Party.)

Upon our return home, good news awaited us. During the past ten days there have been six baptized into Christ, three of whom are college students from the Cal State Fullerton ministry, led by Kyle and Joan Bartholomew! (Jane will be here for a couple of days as her brother is graduating from boot camp at Great Lakes Naval Academy.) Also, I had received an email from Raul Moreno, who flew from Santiago, Chile to Honduras to preach at the first anniversary service of the San Pedro Sula International Christian Church. During this past year, with no full-time people, the San Pedro Sula Church has grown from 50 to 75 disciples! At their anniversary service there were 320 visitors and 105 kids, giving a total attendance of almost 500! Dorian and Rosa Bonilla, who lead the congregation, had 27 visitors! Amazingly, 240 of the visitors expressed a desire to study the Bible! Truly the world is being evangelized in this generation!

Paths of Righteousness, preached by Chris Broom

Psalm 23:3 He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Sheep are creatures of habit. They will walk the same paths over and over until they wear ruts into the ground. They will graze the same hills until the grass is eaten up by the roots. This leaves the ground bare and when rain comes it causes erosion. Well worn spots become infested with parasites of all kinds and soon the sheep are infested as well. When a pasture has been destroyed like this, it is said to have been “sheeped to death.” The land as well as the owner’s reputation is ruined and the sheep become thin and sickly. The greatest safeguard for the sheep is to keep them on the move. In the summer, itinerate herders take their sheep to the hills. They deliberately drive their sheep to new grazing pastures almost every day. Management and intimate knowledge of the pastures are key to being a good shepherd, as a pattern is worked out well in advance so as to not over-graze. (”He guides me in paths of righteousness for His names sake.”)

5 Paths of Righteousness that God wants to guide us in today:

1. The Path of Humility. Isaiah 53:6

People are so much like sheep it is embarrassing. We deliberately, stubbornly and blindly follow the same paths over and over again even when they have proven to be destructive habits. As Isaiah says, we go our own way. Our pride is so incredible that in spite of warnings, we will not yield.

The path of humility leads to righteousness while the path of pride leads to unrighteousness.

Proverbs14:12: There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. This shows the destructive self-determination of a human being. We insist we know what is best. We would rather turn to our own way; even if it leads to trouble. The world we live in is full of broken homes, broken hearts and derelict lives because of this pride. We don’t want to be led in paths of righteousness.

***Share about UIC and the people that have come to decision, including Peggy who was baptized today.

So how about you? Are you ready to “Humble Out?”

Mark 8.34: Jesus never belittled the cost of following him.

2. The Path of Self-Denial.

The journey of becoming like Christ is a journey from selfishness to selflessness. So many people are merely nominal Christians “¦ in name only. We insist we are led of the Lord and then we sing the songs of salvation, but precious few really follow the path they sing about. Phillip Keller said, “There are many willful, wayward, indifferent, self-interested Christians who cannot really be classified as followers of Christ. There are relatively few diligent disciples who forsake all to follow the Master.” When we go from self-pleasing to just wanting to please God (Selfish ambition to Godly ambition), so much of the daily trouble of life goes away. (Please God and the right people will be pleased.)

The path of self-denial leads to righteousness while the path of selfishness leads to unrighteousness. Example of both.

(The greed, laziness and selfishness of mankind leaves behind a legacy of ruin and remorse.)

Instead of insisting on your rights, are you willing to forgo them in favor of others. Instead of exercising and asserting your will, are you willing to deny yourself and follow His will. “Not my will, but yours be done.” Instead of choosing my own way, I will choose to follow Christ’s way. Simply to do what He asks me to do. I will obey. I will go and I will stay where he wants. For my best interest, for others and for His reputation.

So, are you willing to take the backseat, play second fiddle without feeling abused or taken advantage of. (It is hard to hurt such a person because self is out of the equation.)

3. The Path of Total Commitment. Genesis 4:1

The path of total commitment leads to righteousness while the path of partial commitment leads to unrighteousness.

Luke 14:33: Unless you give up everything you have, you cannot be my disciple.

Matthew 22:37 Love the Lord your God with all your heart”¦

1 John 3:16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

When I sacrifice of myself so that I can deliberately do something for God and / or others, that is love.

***Share about Pat Jr. and the Harold Washington Bible Talk. (Victor baptized and 18 at bible talk. Pat”˜s goal is 40 for this week.)

***We need leaders. Can’t lose mission mindset. We are here for the millions. The Mission team is not done, till the city has been won.

4. The Path of Persecution. John 15:18 / Galatians 1:8 / Romans 16:17

Instead of being one of the crowd, I am willing to “Singled Out” and set apart from the gang. Most of us want to be part of the crowd. We don’t mind being different in little ways that serve our egos, but we don’t want to be different in a deeply meaningful way. Jesus said only a few would find His way acceptable and they would be persecuted by a cynical society.

***Share about Theo Jr. and Marshan sharing their faith in K-town, as well as JJC and Annie and Mike’s Baptisms.

The path of persecution leads to righteousness while the path of people pleasing leads to unrighteousness. Example of both.

Matthew 5:10-12

Acts 5.41-42 (They had just been flogged and ordered not to preach in Jesus’ name.)

5. The Path of Gratitude.

Instead of finding fault with life and always asking, Why? Are you willing to accept every circumstance of life in an attitude of gratitude. (Attitude is non-negotiable.)

We feel entitled to question the reason for everything that happens to us. We look for someone or something to pin the blame for our misfortunes. If we really believe every event is in God’s hands, we must submit to God’s plan, knowing He is working for the good of those that love him.

The path of gratitude leads to righteousness while the ungrateful path leads to unrighteousness. Example of both. (Grandma and the peas.)

It’s time to “Humble Out,” get “Self Out,” and get “Sold Out.” Yes, you will be “Singled Out,” but we still need to be “Flat Out” Grateful.

God may allow His servant to succeed when He has disciplined him to a point where he does not need to succeed to be happy. The man who is elated by success and is cast down by failure is still a carnal man. At best his fruit will have a worm in it.

A. W. Towzer

Down the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem that day
The soldiers tried to clear the narrow street
But the crowd pressed in to see
The Man condemned to die on Calvary

He was bleeding from a beating, there were stripes upon His back
And He wore a crown of thorns upon His head
And He bore with every step
The scorn of those who cried out for His death

Down the Via Dolorosa called the way of suffering
Like a lamb came the Messiah, Christ the King,
But He chose to walk that road out of
His love for you and me.
Down the Via Dolorosa, all the way to Calvary.

Categories: Lord is my Shepherd, Sermons