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Following Directions (Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23)
9 Plays2 days ago
Sunday Message recorded 29 December 2024
by Senior Pastor Victor Morrison
First Baptist Church - Columbus, TX, USA
1700 Milam St.
Columbus, TX, USA 78934
Recommended
Transcript
Dedication to Faith: A Journey with Jacob, Keegan, and Hannah
00:00:07
Speaker
I'm so thankful that Jacob Tice, Keegan Grissom, and Hannah Kunshick have each followed Jesus Christ. They followed the directions that they were given.
2025 Resolution: Following Divine Guidance
00:00:21
Speaker
So I hope that you will be following the directions that the Lord will be giving to you as we enter into 2025. Have you decided on a New Year's resolution? I got to looking up what are people most commonly looking to. for the New Year. What are their New Year's
Common Resolutions and Divine Directions
00:00:41
Speaker
resolutions? So I found this one article that said, well, 21% are saying, you know what? I'm spending more than I need to. I want to save more. That was 21%. 19% said I need to eat healthier. It did say, in parentheses, after the holidays. And then 17% said I need to exercise more. as soon as things level out. And then 15% said, I need to lose weight. 14% said, I want to spend more time with family and with friends. But I want to give you a recommendation. How about this one? How about in 2025, each one of us, including myself, that we all say, Lord, I just want to follow your directions. I just want to do what you tell me to do. I was reading an article from,
00:01:31
Speaker
Liberty University, there's a professor there of New Testament named Harold Wilmington, and he wrote this article called A Biographical Study of Joseph the Husband of Mary. And he says in the article that Joseph's name is mentioned 16 times in the New Testament, and he gave three different parts of Joseph's life that seem to summarize pretty much everything that we know about him.
Joseph's Life: A Testament to Faith and Guidance
00:01:57
Speaker
One was the distress of Joseph when he discovered that his fiance was great with child. The second one was decision of Joseph. When he made a decision, you know what, I need to quietly put her away and not assume anything, just go ahead and put her away. But then God gave him a dream. And so that's the third one, the dreams of Joseph. And so from Matthew chapter one,
00:02:27
Speaker
verse 20 all the way into chapter two where we're going to be today, you're going to see all these different dreams of Joseph. But if I were to add something in addition to what he had already said, I would add this one. I would say Joseph's devotion.
00:02:43
Speaker
Joseph's devotion to the guidance of the Lord that was given to him. Are you willing to do what God would tell you to do in 2025? I think that Joseph's biblical legacy legacy is simple. He followed directions. It's a really simple way to live life.
Following Christ: Commitment vs. Surrender
00:03:03
Speaker
You know, when Jesus called people to follow him, you know what he said? Follow me. That's basically the sum total of what he said. Just follow me.
00:03:13
Speaker
21 times he said it in 12 different conversations. Sometimes he would talk about following him, and so if you add all of those together, it was 38 times. But 21 times, he actually said a command, follow me, in 12 different conversations. For example, in Matthew 4.19, he said to them,
00:03:35
Speaker
follow me and I will make you fishers of men. I think to follow him, we say, I want to learn from you step by step. I want you to mold me into who you want me to be. Are you willing to say that to the Lord as you go through 2025? If you say, I will follow you the directions that you give me, then he's going to be able to mold you into the fisher of men or into that man or woman of God that he wants you to be.
00:04:05
Speaker
But in Matthew 9, 9, it says, as Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, follow me. And he rose and followed him. You know, sometimes when we're following him, it means that we have to leave for him.
00:04:25
Speaker
Just like for Jacob Tice, he had to leave Columbus to stay on mission with God, to stay in the center of God's will. And so sometimes that's what happens, like he did for Matthew, the one that the Holy Spirit chose to use to write the Gospel of Matthew.
00:04:44
Speaker
But then Matthew 16, 24 brings up yet another thing. It says, then Jesus told his disciples, if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. It's a very simple way of saying, I want you to live for me, not to live for anything else.
00:05:05
Speaker
I remember hearing one of my favorite pastors and preachers from the past, Adrian Rogers. He said one time that there was a Romanian pastor who had spent a few months in America and he was visiting his church. So Dr. Rogers said that the pastor, he said, do you notice any differences? And he said, yeah, I noticed one difference.
00:05:25
Speaker
He said, a lot of the pastors in the United States talk about being committed to Christ. And he said, certainly that's ah that's a commendable thing, but that's not what we say in Romania. And he said, well, what do you say in Romania rather than committed to Christ? He said, we say surrendered to Christ. You see, if you are committed to something, then who's making the decisions? Who's calling the shots?
00:05:51
Speaker
You are. I am. We are. But if we say, I surrender, then it's like God is calling the shots and not us.
Trusting God's Plan: Lessons from Biblical Figures
00:06:00
Speaker
And so that's what I see in biblical characters like Joseph or like Abraham.
00:06:07
Speaker
Hebrews 11.8 says, by faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance, and he went out not knowing where he was going. See what that that saying to me, follow directions, follow the directions, even if they come one piece at a time.
00:06:27
Speaker
The command to follow him implies we don't know all the details. That's why we have to follow him. We have to be observant. We have to say, OK, I will trust you with those destinations. This morning, I want you to listen to the biblical record of a man who followed directions that were given to him in Matthew chapter 2 verses 13 through 15. And then we'll drop down and go verses 19 through 23.
00:06:55
Speaker
But what I think is interesting is how it's a perfect bridge between Christmas and new a new year or a new start or a new way of living. And so I think if you'll follow him, Joseph will lead you in the right direction because Joseph, his whole life story is summed up and he followed directions. Will you follow the directions that God will give you as we go through this new year?
00:07:21
Speaker
Even in Matthew 1, 18 through 25, you can get a glimpse of a young man who says, you know what? I will follow God's will, even if it means I have to give up my will and go with his will. Before Joseph walks off the biblical stage, Matthew is prompted and inspired by the Holy Spirit to reveal three more lessons that we can learn from Joseph.
00:07:46
Speaker
Would you stand in honor of God's word? And let me read Matthew chapter 2 verses 13 through 15. Then we'll skip down to verse 19 and go down to verse 23. Now when they had departed,
00:08:01
Speaker
Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, rise, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child to destroy him. And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt.
00:08:24
Speaker
and remain there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet out of Egypt, I called my son." Now let's go down to verse 19. But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel. For those who sought the child's life are dead.
00:08:53
Speaker
And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and lived in a city called Nazarene, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled that he would be called a Nazarene.
00:09:22
Speaker
Let's go to the Father in prayer. Oh Lord, I thank you so much for how your will is described in Scripture as that which is good and acceptable and perfect. The problem is we write it off before we really know how it's going to turn out.
00:09:41
Speaker
If we would just trust you that what you've revealed to us in your word, it is the right plan. It is best for us and for our families as we look at Joseph. And so Lord, help us to say yes. Yes, before we even know what it is. Yes, once we know what it is at each step, help us just simply to say, Lord, I want to follow directions. I want to obey.
00:10:06
Speaker
I want to be in the center of your will. Thank you so much again, Lord, for these three students who have lived it out, who have said, I want to be where God wants me to be. And I know there are so many more. And I know there are lots of adults
Joseph and Mary: Trust in Unexpected Journeys
00:10:21
Speaker
in this room who also are living that exact same lifestyle. So Lord, help us to say in 2025,
00:10:29
Speaker
Our New Year's resolution is we just simply want to follow your directions. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thank you so much. You may be seated.
00:10:42
Speaker
You know, as you enter 2025, I guarantee you that somewhere down the line, there are going to be some important decisions, some key crossroads where you'll need the Lord's discernment. You'll need His wisdom. You'll need His guidance. So what I'm encouraging you to do is to remember Remember the footprints of Joseph as he simply followed directions through change. He followed the directions through patience and waiting. He followed the directions through fear of the unknowns. So let's look at the first way that we can follow Joseph's footprints, and that is keep track. Keep track of the Lord as he directs your pass. Verses 13 through 15.
00:11:29
Speaker
You know, are you willing to trust God in 2025, even if it doesn't look like what he did in 2024? You see, his ways are not always the same ways. Many times there'll be something that's new and unexpected. Think about Joseph and Mary in verses 13, 14, and 15. Take a moment to review that that passage right there. For Joseph and Mary, do you think they expected to go to Egypt?
00:11:57
Speaker
They did not. It was unexpected. It was sudden. If you notice, read it really carefully in slow motion, if it if you will, that it all happened in one night. You see, the wise men come and they bring their gifts, right? And after they bring their gifts, as soon as they leave, when they had departed, verse 13 says, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. So he's sleeping and said, rise.
00:12:24
Speaker
Take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child to destroy him, and he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt.
00:12:40
Speaker
You know, it's amazing how we can trust God. We can trust Him to provide for His will. How would how would Joseph and Mary be able to afford a move to Egypt? Well, what about the wise men? What were their gifts again?
00:12:58
Speaker
gold, frankincense, and myrrh. I wonder, I've always thought about the spiritual significance and meaning of each one of those gifts, and I think they are significant. Each one has a message all to itself. But it could it be that even beyond the spiritual meaning of each of the gifts, was there a practical use for those gifts?
00:13:21
Speaker
that God would use that to help support Joseph and Mary as they were going to follow Him step by step. You can trust God to provide for His will if He directs you down some unexpected, unanticipated path, but you can also trust Him for protection within His will.
00:13:42
Speaker
Protection within his will. Where would you say would be the best place in the on the face of the earth? Where would you say would be the safest place for you, for your family, on the face of the earth? I believe it's the center of God's will.
00:13:58
Speaker
It's the best for you. It's the best for your kids. It's the best for your spouse. It's the best for everyone that's involved in your life. You can trust Him to protect you within His will. Does it mean nothing bad will ever happen? Well, if you were to go back to verses 16 down through verse 18, we didn't read that passage, but there was a whole lot of heartache there.
00:14:21
Speaker
And no none of them were spared the hard times that came their way. But I believe that the best, once again, I'm using the word intentionally, the best that we can do at being in the safest place for our family is right in the center of God's will.
00:14:40
Speaker
We can also trust him for a purpose. If he's telling us this is the path I want you to be on, you can trust him. You know, it's interesting how it is a reference here from Hosea verse chapter and verse one. It says that he rose, he took the child and his mother by night, departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. Why?
00:15:06
Speaker
This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet out of Egypt, I called my son. And so was it a direct reference to Jesus? No. It was speaking about the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt. But he's saying it's something similar, what we see happening with Joseph and Mary and baby Jesus.
00:15:33
Speaker
You know, if you will spend time daily, every day, reading in God's Word, that's why I always remind you, why don't you make a commitment to read through His Word? You know, I have out at this door right here,
Understanding God's Will Through Scripture
00:15:45
Speaker
there are some, you know, read the Bible through reading guides that'll take you through the whole year. You'll go through the whole Bible in a year. If that's too much, don't sweat it. Just read some, read a portion. of God's will, of God's word, and he will reveal to you his will. I believe that if we will give our attention to the depth of our ministry, to the depth of our life, walking with the Lord, meeting with him, praying, surrendering to him every single morning, reading in his word, I believe that God will take care of the breath
00:16:20
Speaker
of how He wants to use you in some greater way. But it helps us, as we read God's Word, it helps us stay alert to what God is doing. It helps us also stay aligned with what God is doing. So I'm not saying you're going to have dreams and all of those kind of things. That was before they had the 66 books of the Bible. I mean, God could still give dreams, no doubt.
00:16:43
Speaker
But what I'm thinking is more common is for you to get into his inspired word, read it every single morning and say, Lord, what are you saying to me today? I have a journal right beside my Bible and a pen. I get it ready the night before because I don't i can't ever find a pen when I'm looking for one. So I'm going to make sure I got that ready. So each night I got my Bible, my journal, my pen. I'm ready. Would you do that with me when we go through 2025 to have your Bible, your journal, your pen, and to say, Lord, what are you saying? I'm here. I'm ready to listen. I'm ready to obey. I'm ready to surrender.
00:17:23
Speaker
You know, if you look at Joseph in Luke two verses one through seven, it says how God was able to guide Joseph from ah a small town called Nazareth to another small place called Bethlehem. And that's where Mary gave birth to Jesus. It fulfilled his word, all right? But then you read in Matthew two verses 13 through 15, and now he's leading him to go from Bethlehem to Nazareth.
00:17:51
Speaker
You see, somebody might look at that and say, that sounds like a guy running from the law to me. He's running from place to place. He wasn't running from the law. He was staying in step with the Lord's will for his life. Will you do that as we go through 2025
Patience in God's Timing and Resolution
00:18:07
Speaker
together? Well, why don't we say the first thing is to keep track of the Lord as he directs your paths.
00:18:15
Speaker
But the second thing is allow time for the Lord to dissolve your problems. Look at verses 19 through 21. See, it's one thing to trust God to go, but what about when you have to trust God to stay, to wait, to be patient? There are those times that are also mentioned in scripture. You know, Josephus was a Jewish historian. He wrote something called Antiquities, and I can give you the the page number and chapter number in the line, but the details of Herod's death are outlined in that ancient history book.
00:18:52
Speaker
You know, there really was a here. And he died in 4 BC. But I wonder how long. you know He says, go and stay there in Egypt until I tell you that it's safe for you to go back to Israel. How long did Joseph and Mary and baby Jesus stay down there in Egypt? We don't know. We're not told. So it's really better not to even try to guess. But a lot of scholars have read different things and they don't know any more than they did when they started. Some say, well, it could have been three months. Others say, well, it could have been two years or somewhere in between.
00:19:26
Speaker
But here's what we do know. What we do know is Joseph was facing a real problem. I think sometimes we assume, well, biblical guys, they had it easy. They didn't face the problems that I face. You're right. They don't face the same kind of problems you face, but they faced problems. They faced the same kind of stuff that we face, only it didn't look the same, but it was similar in different things that they were going through.
00:19:57
Speaker
And so I just thought, wow, this guy really was someone that you needed to avoid. Do you realize that historians tell us that Herod murdered his wife? He murdered his three sons. You know, it's interesting that Joseph, not Joseph, but Herod murdered three of his sons from his wife that she had before with another marriage. But he married, he killed those three sons. And so it's no wonder.
00:20:24
Speaker
that Herod would later say, you know what, if I kill my wife's sons, I'm not ashamed to kill other babies. And so that's why he put out this edict that all of the babies were going to be killed from two years of age and under in Bethlehem.
00:20:40
Speaker
And so somebody did some estimates and they found out that at that time, Bethlehem had about a thousand people in terms of their population. So one one man named David Platt said, that would mean that probably out of a thousand, maybe 10 families, maybe as many as 20 families would have lost their baby boy.
00:21:02
Speaker
that had just been born. Wouldn't that have been a heartache? That would have been a real problem. So God's not asking you to pretend that your problem doesn't exist. God's just saying, will you wait until I can take care of your problem?
00:21:17
Speaker
You see, the problem was also resolved, wasn't it? It says that the angel is able to talk to him again and say, those who sought the child's life, those who wanted to put the child to death, they're dead. And so the problem was resolved. But not only that, but the problem was removed because he says, rise and go. And what does it say that Joseph did?
00:21:41
Speaker
Joseph rose and he went. He did exactly what God had told him to do. So I want to ask you, are you willing to give God time or are you saying, God, if you don't answer my prayer and my dilemma right now, if you don't make it all go away, I'm not going to follow you. I'm not going to believe in you if you don't solve it right now today.
00:22:01
Speaker
We need to be patient. We need to say the Bible speaks about waiting. Sometime I would encourage you to read through Acts chapter 12. Acts chapter 12 is such a balance when you think about it. When you start Acts chapter 12, you begin to think, whoa, it's dangerous being a Christian. Because james ah John had a brother named James. There was James and John, the disciples of Jesus.
00:22:28
Speaker
James was martyred by a Herod. And so you're thinking, wow, it doesn't seem like everybody got to escape. Peter was arrested and put in jail by a Herod. And so you're thinking, wow. And then you'll see Barnabas, Saul, and John Mark, they were able to complete a mission trip. Well, now wait a minute. That doesn't seem fair, right?
00:22:51
Speaker
Because why did James lose his life? Why did Peter get to keep his life, but now he's being detained in a jail because he's simply following the Lord? And then you've got Barnabas and Saul over there on a mission trip, and they go back to Jerusalem where it's all taking place. And you're thinking, wait a minute, that doesn't seem to to match up. And then you see at the end of Acts chapter 12, guess what happens?
00:23:17
Speaker
Herod the king starts making big bold claims about everything that he's done and right then and there It says that an angel smote him and killed it and out came all kind of worms and so forth It's gross to read it, but just trust me if you don't want to read it But what I'm trying to tell you is that there's balance in the Word of God because yes It was not God's will for James to be spared the martyrdom.
Balancing Divine Will with Human Experience
00:23:44
Speaker
Yes, it was God's will for Peter to be arrested, but as the church was praying for Peter, he was released from jail. And so you think, well, prayer makes a big difference, doesn't it?
00:23:55
Speaker
But then you see, wait a minute, how come Ferdinand spared James? And then you see Barnabas and Saul and John Mark and they returned from a mission trip and they didn't even seem to have a problem. Oh, but wait a minute, they took money over because there was a famine and there was a lot of people going through a hard time.
00:24:14
Speaker
And so they were an answer to that. So you know what really we need to do? We need to trust God. We need to say, God, I'm going to leave it in your hands. I'm not going to try to make things happen. I'm just going to watch it what you do. And I'm going to join you. I'm going to follow you. I'm going to go by the directions that you give to me. Well, let me give you one final third thing. And that is to say, Lord, whatever you do in my life,
00:24:38
Speaker
One day I'm going to do just like Keegan Grissom today. I'm going to stand up there and I'm going to give a testimony. maybe not in front of a church, but maybe to your spouse, maybe to your kids, maybe to your grandkids, maybe to those students that are at at school in some smaller group grouping where there's just a few of you together, or maybe at work, but you're gonna say, Lord, here's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna give a testimony someday. I'm gonna say how you got me to the place that you wanted me to be. You see, sometimes it involves detours, doesn't it?
00:25:13
Speaker
Do you remember whenever in verses 19 through 21, they said, the coast is clear. Why don't you go back to Israel now? So Joseph's like, yes, sir. So he is on his way back to Israel. But look at verse 22. What happens? But when he heard that Archelaus, this is the son of the previous Herod, Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod. He was afraid to go there. And being born in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee.
00:25:42
Speaker
and he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene. So let's think about that for a moment. Let me give you some historical background on Archelaus. Do you know that Archelaus was said to be just as ruthless as his father, just as brutal as his father? And so are you're thinking, really? I mean, a man that would kill three of his step-kids, how can he be considered that you know ah that bad? Well, this man Archelaus, he killed 3,000.
00:26:19
Speaker
And so if you think, oh my goodness, wait a minute, you know he was called the worst of the sons of Herod. And so it's no wonder that when it came time for Joseph and Mary, baby Jesus, to go back to Judea, that you know he's saying, wait, wait, wait. I know he said go back to Israel, but he can't mean for me to go back in there around Archelaus.
Driven by Faith: Confronting 2025 Challenges
00:26:44
Speaker
He's just as mean as his daddy.
00:26:47
Speaker
Well, there is something that happens here. He's redirected to Galilee. And Galilee, you would think, okay, there's going to be a better leader over Galilee, and there was. Remember Herod had three sons, and after Herod died, the country was divided up between his three sons. Archelaus was one. He was over Judah. But then there was also Antipas. Antipas was over Galilee. And so if he's going to go back up there, then he's going to be OK. Well, wait a minute. You might want to remember something about Herod Antipas. He's the guy that had John the Baptist put to death. So then you're going, wait a minute. This doesn't make sense. Why would God call him to go back?
00:27:33
Speaker
Here's the thing. What's gonna drive your life in 2025? Are you gonna be driven by fear? Are you going to be driven by the Father? Are you going to be driven by worry? Are you going to say, Lord, I want your will. Your will is what I want to go by. Are you going to say, I want the Father's will? Not just what's fun and what's comfortable, what's pleasant. I want the Father's will. Know what fans would say. Yeah, that's what we want. Go ahead, smoke that marijuana. Go ahead, drink that whole case of beer or whatever. Go ahead, use that profanity and fit in with us.
00:28:10
Speaker
You ought to say, Lord, I want to obey you. I want to do what you want me to do. And you can't say, OK, I'm going to find a place where there's no distractions whatsoever. You won't find one. What you've got to decide is, wherever God wants me, I'm just simply not going to be driven by the wrong things. I'm going to be driven by the Father. He's the one that I want to be in charge of my life. He's the one I'm going to let drive my life.
00:28:42
Speaker
Why do I say that? Because what made the difference for Joseph? Joseph is headed for Jerusalem. Joseph is headed for Judea. Joseph is going back there. But what made the difference? Well, let's read it again. It says, but when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth. You see, I believe God redirected him. And so God was in the driver's seat. And even if for you something seems like a detour, it seems like this isn't the way, this is isn't how I dreamed my life was going to go. trust him, trust him and say, God, I'm going to go with whatever you tell me to do. Because there's this third thing about this that I want you to get it down in your faith, in your heart of hearts as we go into a new year.
00:29:41
Speaker
The destiny of your life has already been decided by God. his His will ought to be your goal. His will is enough destiny no matter where it takes you. Maybe you would say, well, how big was Nazareth? Well, they don't know how big Nazareth was. They used to say it was 200. And then there were some scholars that said, no, I think it was more like 400. And there were some archaeological discoveries recently that said, no, I think it's maybe closer to 1,000.
00:30:11
Speaker
So we don't know how large Nazareth was, but we do know from John chapter 1, verse 46, that Nazareth didn't have a good reputation. I mean, right now, because of our Cardinals, Columbus got a great reputation going on in our state. But the thing is, Nazareth, it was not known for good things. And that's what it said in John 1, 46. Can anything good come out of Nazareth?
00:30:36
Speaker
But here's the thing, no matter if it's a despised place, a small place, an overlooked place, do you know what the Lord can do in the desert?
Spiritual Growth Through Scripture
00:30:45
Speaker
Isaiah talks about what God can do in desert places, in dry places, in in places where it's just a wilderness and barren and so forth.
00:30:55
Speaker
You see, the thing is we need to learn to stay in God's word because he's fulfilling scripture. He says what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled that he would be called a Nazarene. This is very important. God's going to fulfill his word. So either we can get on that train or we can miss it. But the word of God will help you stay on track with it.
00:31:20
Speaker
As a matter of fact, if you were to go to chapter two and verse six, how did the wise men know where to go? The word of God, Micah five two. And then in Matthew chapter two verse 15, Hosea 11.1 was quoted. But then in Matthew chapter two verse 18, Jeremiah 31 verse 15 was quoted. And now a lot of Bible scholars say either Isaiah 53.3 or Psalms 22.6. One of those is probably what he has in mind in verse 28 when he says that he would be called a Nazarene, some someone that was sort of looked down upon.
00:31:58
Speaker
Well, the primary thrust of this whole message has really been about one thing when it comes to following God's directions. I think it comes down to this. As we focus upon growing in our development in Christ, becoming more Christ-like, getting to know who God is, getting in His Word every single day, as we focus on that, you know what happens as a byproduct? We stay. We stay steady, lined up. We stay on track in following the directions from from Christ. You know, Paul wrote to the new disciples that he had just made in Galatians. They're baby Christians. They're just starting.
00:32:39
Speaker
In Galatians 4, 19, he says, I'm again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you. You see, it's one thing for Christ to sort of like spiritually, I guess you could say, be born in us, like we're getting a new start. We are like born again, those of us that have come to know Christ, but that's not the end. That's just the beginning. All your life, all my life,
00:33:05
Speaker
The Lord is going to be developing us to be more and more shaped in the image of Christ. You know, I thought about how, you know, the Bible says in Romans 12, too, don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed. You see, God's goal for each one of us in this room that no Christ, anyway, our his goal for us is that we be conformed, not to the world.
00:33:32
Speaker
we be conformed to the image of his son, Jesus Christ. And so what he's gonna do, Romans 8.28 says, he's gonna arrange all of life's circumstances so that in our character, so that in our ways of relating and talking to other people, so that in our our lifestyle, so that in every single decision we're gonna make, we're gonna say, I'm going to be more like
Reflecting on Divine Guidance for the New Year
00:33:55
Speaker
Jesus. I'm gonna stay lined up with God's word.
00:33:59
Speaker
So let's prayerfully review these lessons before we enter into the invitation. We've learned from Joseph, number one, are you keeping track of the Lord as He directs your paths? Even if it's not the path you thought, are you willing to follow Him? Joseph didn't mean to go to Egypt, but he followed the Lord there.
00:34:19
Speaker
Number two, are you allowing time for the Lord to resolve or dissolve your problems? And number three, are you preparing to testify how the Lord took you on a detour? Maybe it's like, I don't i didn't know this was going to happen, but you know what? It came in a good place.
00:34:40
Speaker
You know, just the other day, Jody and I were talking and we said, you know, there's a verse, isn't there? In Psalms that says, no good thing will he withhold from those who walk uprightly. If we will simply say, Lord, I want to be that person who's doing what is right in your eyes, then I guarantee you, even if it seemed look like a detour, it's gonna be a good place. God's gonna lead you to a good place and it'll be a place that he has in mind for you.
00:35:07
Speaker
Well, why don't we stand together? I want to give an opportunity for you to to say to the Lord, Lord, I want to worship you with my life. I want my life to honor you and line up with you in all my attitudes, all my ways, all my thoughts, all my plans, all my actions, my behavior.
00:35:27
Speaker
The way I treat others, help me, O Lord, to be properly lined up with you. So I want us to pray, and then I'll be standing down front if you need someone to pray with. But this one is really more for Christians, I guess, today. But if you haven't trusted Christ, the best place to start is to say, I give you my life. I want to start following you. But let's pray together.
00:35:50
Speaker
Lord, thank you so much for speaking to us through your timeless word. It always is so relevant and speaks generation after generation, location after location. Thank you that even Jacob ties, he can be reading in your word today and it's gonna speak to him and here we are in Columbus, Texas and the the word of God can speak to us and guide us. Lord, we see in Joseph life, you were definitely fulfilling things in your word and he didn't even maybe realize it.
00:36:20
Speaker
So thank you so much, oh Lord, for all that you do. So you've got us as we follow your directions through 2025. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
00:36:35
Speaker
This is a ministry of First Baptist Church, located at 1700 Milam Street, Columbus, Texas.