Trust the map

Being on a journey, knowing where you are going and how you are going to get there is such a good feeling. You can have confidence on the way while being fully unfamiliar with the territory, landscape.

Even driving through different countries with different languages, you set that google map to your accent of choice – I think my wife has a female Aussie. Maybe I might set it to a south African accent though…big shout out to all my south African friends…

Story:

However, without the right coordinates, directions, or trustworthy map, you have to rely on other things can it can get a little sketchy.

You want to know you have something a little more reliable than this:

Picture – Martellus… not bad, might send you off in the right direction, but you may want something a little more reliable.

Story:

Picture : Driving through the bush of Africa on my way to a little town called M????, (which God worked in…) Seeds were planted, God is moving.

Rained…crazy…everyone had a vision.

We use to have a professor who was so zealous about his particular field: We used to joke…”God has plan for your life and so does how Howard Folz.”

We need a map. I have good news today. In exploring the world around us. In understanding our journey…we have not just a good map, but a really good, time tested, testimony attested, Top book seller not bested … We have the Bible.

A Good road map for life. There are a lot of voices, but we need something reliable and credible.

Your word is a lamp for my feet,

a light on my path.

Psalm 119:105

We need a light right now…God’s word provides this light. We need something solid…something immoveable…something that we can tie our mooring lines to.

This light is illuminating – highlights things you can’t see, or reminds you

This light is also powerful – scatters darkness

There’s some darkness there—driving around in circles…

We want to know that we are heading not just somewhere, but the right somewhere.

We also want to know that we are on point.

The word of God is a light…it’s a roadmap, bringing light, hope, and change.

To that end, in talking about finding true north, I want to say for HTC, as for me and my house, we are going to do our best by the power of the Holy Spirit to live…

We want to be Biblically based.

We have fixed our moorings, we are humbly tethered to God’s word to bring peace in the storm, comfort with heavy waves, and correction with course deviation and illumination

Let’s look at story from Scripture

[Josiah] did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.

3 In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the secretary, Shaphan son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the temple of the Lord. He said: 4 “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest and have him get ready the money that has been brought into the temple of the Lord, which the doorkeepers have collected from the people.

8 Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord.”

I Kings 22:2-4; 8

Somewhere along the way they lost the book. They lost the desire. They lost the value of God’s principles and word. The no longer sensed importance and priority. It got his father and grandfather into a lot of trouble.

Not only did they lose it. Josiah, somehow because of soft heart towards God, he begins this project. And they find the book…

We need to rediscover the book, the beauty, majesty, authority, power, life that is in God’s word. We should become captivated again by its eternal wisdom.

Here’s what it is interesting about this….he was already walking with God. While the book was being read, He received a bigger picture of God and his heart for the nation and probably for himself. He had a heart for God…but there were still things out of order—why? Because while the Spirit was obviously moving in his life, he has not foundation.

How often is this case…

10 Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.

11 When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes.

2 Kings 22:10 -11

He received it, he let him speak to him…even though he was already walking with God. He realized there was disorder in the land.

Let it speak to you…first.

Speaks to us personally – let it speak to you, first. Not the person next to you…Not your spouse. Don’t be elbowing that handsome man or lovely lady next to you…your spouse I mean. Remember that Janine…see what I did there, just modeled perfectly what not to do.

He also allowed himself to be moved for what was under his leadership. Obviously as a nation that was dedicated to Yahweh…they had responsibilities to only worship Yahweh, the one true God.

13 “Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.”

Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse[b] and be laid waste—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the Lord. 20 Therefore I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.’”

Responsiveness

He not only read it he acted on is…got rid of the idolatry in the land. He also led the people of God in an opportunity to return to God.

Cherish his word

Personal Story: My Family Story-

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Have I given Scripture authority to lead me in life?

• Can I trust the Scripture – God breathed

• Here’s where a trust issue emerges? To give it the authority in your life, there needs to be reliability/credibility

Map Malfunction – Google maps sent me to the gate of certain facility not to far down the street…I think am heanding to langley and not the high school…No, no, that is not going to work.

Reliability question:

o Not simply a great book of ethics

o Many of the German theologians attempted to de-supernaturalize the Bible…because they had not experienced themselves.

Story: Tanzania – Habib will be here in a couple of weeks…they love to please, but that can get you into trouble sometimes when you ask for direction.

Can it speak to me, and can it speak to my particular situation?

Who or what has sent you in the wrong direction? Or what, perhaps yourself, your own thoughts

Is there a Tiktok voice that has more authority. Or a certain new source, or a certain friend…the Bible has final authority…we are biblically based.

• Your true north in Christ is guided by the best-selling book of all time (for good reason by the way).

Since scripture is teaching, the question really is “am I listening?” Do I listen and am I receptive?

• Spouses….Janine asks are you listening….

• Let it challenge the idols of the heart, your heart and society….

• Josiah didn’t begin with the nation, he began with himself….

• Who is shaping how I see life? What are the voice…podcast…Do I trust in a particular news source, author, tiktoker…

Am I ready for any necessary course correction that Scripture provides?

Why wouldn’t I want to the change if I am heading in a wrong direction.

Am I responsive enough to both receive the power to change and take necessary steps.

The transformation that is inherent..

I have hidden your word in my heart

that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

We can trust the map, and we can find freedom- gives true freedom…let’s you see truth, and it changes you.

The truth of God words will set you free—it’s not bondage is life. True there are some people, some movements that have used for legalism but no I am glad my parents told me not to run out in the road…I am sure I would be dead today. I am glad that I learned in English countries to look right first before crossing the road, or I would have been flattened…many times.

When my desires say this but God’s word say other – trust the map.

When society tries to redefine the image that God has stamped on humanity, male and female, without being judgmental towards and invidividual, we are going to trust the map…the map has been tried and tested.

The Bible gives you understanding of salvation and relationship with God.

The Bible gives you wisdom to live now and fulfill your destiny and purpose.

The Bible gives you power to overcome and endure the vices and challenges that you face.

The Bible offers hope for the now and for the future.

Personal Story: The story didn’t stop there….The Bible Can change your family destiny -

Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.

2 Kings 23:25

1 Let’s be reminded (or perhaps discover) the authority and beauty of God’s Word and re-encounter it’s power.

2. Let’s open our minds and hearts to be moved and transformed by the Scripture.

a.Has the word of God been hidden in your life?

b.Yes this could mean that you have not reading it, but perhaps the bigger question, have you truly allowed it to challenge you?

3. Let’s become “doers” of the word through the power of the Spirit.

You have a map. You can trust it. It can change your life. Let’s use, let it’s light guide.

You can trust the map. HTC, we are Biblically based.