KEY TEXT
Isaiah 40:29-31 (NKJV)
Verse 29 – He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.
Verse 30- Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall,
Verse 31- But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
INTRODUCTION
- An unfainting walk
- About our Key Text
Isaiah is not giving us an analogy of BIOLOGICAL GROWTH as much as he is describing the JOURNEY WE TAKE WITH GOD.
OUR JOURNEY IS ONE THAT WILL BE MARKED PRIMARILY BY WALKING.
The journey we are on is ONE LONG ROAD OF OBEDIENCE in the same direction.
Title
‘THE WALK OF THE LORD’S PEOPLE’
OUTLINE
- The four types of the walk of the Lord’s people
- The implications of the four walks
- How to walk in Christ?
- Our faulty walk versus Christ’s perfect walk
MAIN POINTS
- THE FOUR TYPES OF THE WALK OF THE LORD’S PEOPLE
Christian life is a journey.
It is a long journey.
It is a JOURNEY MARKED PRIMARILY BY WALKING.
There are four passages in the Bible referring to the walk of the Lord’s people in which a different PREPOSITION is used.
And each preposition points to four different types of the walk of the Lord’s people.
Genesis 5:24 – And Enoch WALKED WITH God; and he was not, for God took him.
Deuteronomy 13:4 – You shall WALK AFTER the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.
Genesis 17:1-When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; WALK BEFORE Me and be blameless.”
Colossian 2:6 -As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so WALK IN HIM.
There are four types of the walk of the Lord’s people:
- THE WALK WITH GOD
- THE WALK AFTER GOD
- THE WALK BEFORE GOD
- THE WALK IN GOD
What do these four walks mean?
What do the four prepositions before the word “walk” imply?
- THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE FOUR WALKS
- TO WALK BEFORE (Genesis 5:24)
Genesis 5:24 – And Enoch WALKED WITH God; and he was not, for God took him.
The phrase “to walk with” implies FELLOWSHIP AND FRIENDSHIP.
We WALK WITH GOD AS OUR FRIEND.
God is looking for not only a clinging bride but also a WALKING PARTNER.
From the very beginning, God had a relationship with Adam and Eve that found them “walking in the garden in the cool of the day” (Genesis 3:8).
God created man for the enjoyment of a WALKING RELATIONSHIP that involved COMPANIONSHIP, DIALOGUE, INTIMACY, JOINT-DECISION-MAKING, MUTUAL DELIGHT AND SHARED DOMINION.
Application: When we enter into an intimate heart relationship with God through faith in His Son (Hebrews 10:22), He becomes our heart’s greatest desire.
Knowing him, hearing His voice, sharing our hearts with Him and seeking to please Him become our all-consuming focus.
The Bible says that “Enoch walked WITH God; and he was not, for God took him.”
Enoch was the first man to uncover the true delight of walking with God.
He found something that even Adam didn’t experience.
He pressed into God until he learned to commune with God through every facet of life.
To find that dimension of relationship certainly required an intense spiritual pursuit and then when he found it, the LORD made a graphic statement by taking him up to heaven.
By taking Enoch to glory, God was trying to emphasize a specific point –“I love to walk with man! Enoch was the first man to truly walk WITH me, so I decided to highlight his example by doing SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY with him. I took him up to paradise to underscore how much I value and desire a daily walking relationship with my chosen ones.”
Enoch’s example continues to witness to all generations of the great zeal God has -TO WALK WITH MAN.
When the zeal of God captures you, it will ignite you with a great passion to walk with God and to be His friend.
When we walk WITH God, we enter the dimension where God unfolds the secrets of his kingdom.
Jesus was the best example of a man who walked with God.
The secret place is where we develop a walking relationship WITH God.
We must develop a secret history with God before He gives us a public history before people.
Hidden in the secret place, we learn what He is looking for in FRIENDS and we find out what pleases him.
Our inner chamber becomes our training ground for a life that is rooted and grounded in love.
Just as walking with a close friend requires saying “no” to many other things, so walking WITH God requires letting go of anything that would be a DISTRACTION.
Application: Many people attempt to WALK WITH GOD, but they bring along cellphone-like habits – sins, worldly entertainment, or unhealthy relationships.
TO WALK WITH GOD MEANS THAT YOU AND GOD ARE IN AGREEMENT ABOUT YOUR LIFE.
“Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” (Amos 3:3)
To WALK WITH GOD means you have aligned your will with His and seek every day to consider yourself “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20).
Your heart’s desire is to be pleasing to God and you are willing to let His Spirit conform you to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29).
When the Bible speaks of “walking”, it often refers to a LIFESTYLE.
We can walk in the ways of the world as well (Ephesians 2:2; Colossians 3:7).
In the New Testament, WALKING WITH GOD is often called ‘WALKING IN THE SPIRIT’ (Galatians 5:16; Romans 8:4).
To walk with God means we choose to glorify Him in every way we can, regardless of PERSONAL COST.
And there is a cost.
Walking with God also means we cannot walk with evil people as companions (Psalm 1:1-3).
We choose the NARROW ROAD over the broad way to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14).
We don’t live to please our sinful flesh (Romans 13:14). We seek to eliminate from our lives everything that does not enhance our walk with Him (Hebrews 12:2).
We apply 1 Corinthians 10:31 literally: “Therefore, whether we eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
God’s ways are reflected in our thoughts, our actions, our motivations and our life choices because we spend so much time with Him.
To walk with God is to walk in fellowship and friendship with Him as HIS FRIENDS.
Application: Are you God’s friend? Is walking with God your lifestyle today? Have you been saying no to many other things while walking with God – a no that would cost you? Are you and God in agreement about your life today? Are you aligning your will with God’s will? Are you walking with God or with the world or with evil people?
- TO WALK AFTER (Deuteronomy 13:4)
Deuteronomy 13:4 – You shall WALK AFTER the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.
The phrase “to walk after” God implies a MASTER-SERVANT RELATIONSHIP.
We walk AFTER God as HIS SERVANT FOLLOWING HIM AS OUR MASTER.
God is our King and we are His servants.
God owns all of His creation.
Everything we have, including our very lives, comes from God.
The word “master” in Hebrew word comes in many forms:
- “Despostes” = Lord (human master); instructor
- “Oikodespoters” = Master of the house, property
- “Epistates” = Commander or overseer
- “Didaskalos” = Teacher or doctor
- “Kathegetes” = Guide or leader
- “Rhabbi” = Lord, my teacher
Application: Do you recognize Jesus as the master, Lord, instructor, master of your property, the commander of your life; the guide and teacher of your life?
If so, you will walk AFTER Him in His teaching, leading and guidance.
A slave never walks in front of His master.
To walk after God according to Deuteronomy 13:4implies OBEDIENCE TO THE LORD AS OUR MASTER by….
- Fearing Him
- Keeping His commandments
- Obeying His voice
- Serving Him
- Clinging to Him
Jesus honors the authority of His Father through COMPLETE OBEDIENCE.
Christ’s entire life and ministry were orchestrated by His Father and Jesus was very careful to carry out every detail according to the will of His Father (Hebrew 10:7).
Even His coming to earth was an act of obedience to His Father. His life and ministry focused on the will of the Father (John 14:31).
All that Jesus did and said was exactly what His Father wanted Him to do and say (John 12:49).
All that Christ did in His life on earth was done according to the Scriptures.
What God had spoken in the Old Testament was so authoritative Christ obeyed it completely (Matthew 21:4).
Jesus lived exactly as the Scripture predicted in order that the Scriptures would be fulfilled.
Christ’s complete obedience climaxed in His death – He humbled himself by BECOMING OBEDIENT TO THE POINT OF DEATH, EVEN DEATH ON A CROSS” (Philippians 2:8).
Consequently, Christ’s obedience brings benefits to us NOW as His believers.
Christ did not learn obedience because He was disobedient.
He learned obedience EXPERIENTIALLY so we would have an “older brother”, a high priest who can fully be sympathetic and empathetic with our situation – For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrew 4:15).
When we come to Christ for help over our disobedience, we know He will be sympathetic to our needs – “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
Christ’s obedience not only brings benefits to believers NOWbut also ETERNALLY.
And His obedience SETS THE GOAL for us, where Jesus desires all his disciples to do the Father’s will.
“Pray then, in this way: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven….thy will be done” (Matthew 9-10).
It is not enough to recognize the authority of the Scripture as the voice of God, God wants us to honor that authority by OUR OWN OBEDIENCE.
In fact, Jesus makes obedience to the Father a condition of our relationship with Him: “For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother” (Matthew 12:50).
Application: Who is the master of your life? Are you obeying God by fearing Him, obeying His word, serving Him and clinging on to Him? We are redeemed by the blood of Christ not only to be His children but also His servant. We should not have any SUPERIORITY COMPLEX thinking we are above others because we are God’s children. On the contrary, we should be humble to walk AFTER our Master God as His servant, doing His will and serving His cause. Are you walking after God in obedience? Or are you walking after the world and people?
- TO WALK BEFORE (Genesis 17:1)
Genesis 17:1-When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; WALK BEFORE Me and be blameless.”
The phrase “to walk before” God is suggestive of a child running ahead and playing in the presence of His father, conscious of His perfect SECURITY because He is just behind.
Here, the believers are exhorted to walk BEFORE God with Him as our FATHER and we asHIS CHILDREN.
Though we all have physical life when we enter this world, God plans to offer all human beings the chance to experience an ADDITIONALspiritual beginning that can result in eternal life in God’s kingdom.
That new spiritual beginning includes our entering a NEW FAMILY -GOD’S FAMILY.
Prior to Jesus’ death, all of us were alienated from God as our Father.
After the fall of Adam and Eve, even though God is our Creator, we have all become children of the devil(John 8:44).
Christ had to come to die for us, reconciling us to God as our Father so that today we can worship God the Father in spirit and in truth (John 4:23).
By the reconciling death of Christ and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, we have been integrated into the life of the Trinity.
It is because of this presence of the Spirit in us that we are able to approach the Father and have a relationship with Him.
We are adopted into God’s new family as His children and with Christ as our Elder Brother.
Galatians 5:6-7 – And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” So, you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”
God the Father wants to have a close “father-child” relationship.
The Holy Spirit allows us to address the Father as “Abba, Father”.
The word “Abba” is an Aramaic term for father, implying GREAT FAMILIARITY AND INTIMACY.
Abba is “a term of endearment used within the family circle.”
God does not want us to view Him as a Father who is cold, distant and difficult to relate to.
The New Testament reveals that God wants us to have a warm, affectionate personal relationship with Him.
He wants us to recognize His gentle concern and desire to bless us.
We are children in God’s eyes and enjoy the special connection and love only a father and His children can enjoy.
We are not just servants of a master (though He certainly is our Master as well) but sons and daughters of a loving Father.
In Genesis 17:1, God commanded Abraham to walk BEFORE Him.
Why?
Because God knew one year later, Sarah would conceive and bear a child because of the provision from God Almighty.
And God changed the name of the Patriarch from Abram to Abraham – father of many nations.
So now in Genesis 17:1, God appeared to Abraham, assuring Him that He is a Greater Father of many nations, able to answer his long-lost desire and now releasing Abraham to go and walk before God in great confidence of His Fatherly provision- a long-promised son- Go and play with your son and I will be your Father watching you from behind and you can walk and enjoy my blessing and my promise, totally conscious and confident that I have your back – I am your security.”
God as our loving Father….
- Gives us life (Acts 17:25; 1 Timothy 6:13)
- Loves us (John 3:16)
- Rewards our efforts (Luke 6:35; Hebrew 11:6)
- Communicates with us through His Word (John 17:17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13)
- Corrects us lovingly (Hebrews 12:3-11)
- Gives us eternal life (Romans 6:23)
But He gives us SECURITY.
“ His goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life…” (Psalm 23:6).
He allows us to play in His presence and enjoy His blessings.
That is WALKING BEFORE GOD – a confidence in your Father’s presence, security and watchful eyes and a liberty to just enjoy the blessings God gives you.
Application: Do you have the confidence to walk before God as your Father? Do you dare to run ahead and play in the presence of your Father, conscious of His perfect SECURITY because He is just behind?
- TO WALK IN (Colossians 2:6)
Colossian 2:6 -As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so WALK IN HIM.
The phrase “to walk in” Christ indicates UNION WITH CHRIST as MEMBERS OF HIS BODY.
Because Christ dwells within all believers through the Holy Spirit, we should WALK IN UNION WITH THE INDWELLING CHRIST, WHICH IS THE HOLY SPIRIT.
The word “walk” refers to ethical conduct and behavior appropriate for those who claim Christ.
The verb indicates CONTINUOUS ACTION: “continue to live” (NIV).
The past event of receiving Christ (past salvation) should be a PRESENT REALITY in the believers’ daily lives.
We can only have UNION WITH CHRIST as we abide in Him, rest in Him, trust our lives into His safekeeping and walk IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH.
Application: You were born again many months or years ago. Are you still walking in Him? Christ is the head and you are the body of Christ. Is your body STILL attached to the head? Are you still abiding in the vine? Are you still in Him? Or have something or someone caused you to walk out of Christ? We are all members of the body of Christ. Are you in union with His body, His church or out of His church, out of His body?
- HOW TO WALK IN CHRIST?
Colossians 2:7– rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
- TO BE ROOTED IN CHRIST
Just as plants draw nourishment from the soil through their roots, so the believers should DRAWLIFE-GIVING STRENGTH FROM CHRIST.
This means WE INTENTONALLY DRIVE OUR ROOTS DEEP “IN CHRIST”.
- TO BE BUILT UP
This word is in the present tense, describing CONTINUOUS ACTION.
Like a building, they had a solid foundation or superstructure, but had to keep on building with solid materials in order to be strong.
- TO BE ESTABLISHED IN FAITH
The word “established” is a legal term, often used for a BINDING CONTRACT.
This too is a continuous action, AN ONGOING PROCESS.
In these words, Paul is telling us as believers ….
- That we should become more established (stronger) in our personal faith.
- That our faith should establish and strengthen us for daily living
- That we should become more established (stronger) in the FAITH.
We should be built up and established in order to continue to stand firmly against any false teaching.
The faith in which the believers were rooted, built up and established should be a source of abundant THANKSGIVING.
True understanding of what Christ has done on our behalf as His believers can lead to no other response than GRATEFULNESS.
If we have a negative attitude of ungratefulness and unthankfulness, we will never mount up with wings of eagles and soar for the glory of God when weighed down by stinking attitudes.
A change of attitude plays some of the biggest dividends in the Christian life.
Great attitudes are twice as important as aptitude when predicting success in life.
In summary: THE CHART
TYPES OF WALKS RELATONSHIP IMPLICATION
OF BELIEVERS BETWEEN GOD AND BELIEVERS
WALK WITH GOD FRIENDS INTIMACY
WALK AFTER GOD MASTER/SERVANT OBEDIENCE
WALK BEFORE GOD FATHER/SON SECURITY
WALK IN GOD HEAD/BODY UNION (ABIDING)
- OUR FAULTY WALK VERSUS THE PERFECT WALK OF CHRIST
How do you grade your walk WITH the Lord; your walk AFTER the Lord; your walk BEFORE the Lord and your walk IN the Lord?
E.g. King Asa -the only king who died of diseased feet – symbolizing a faulty walk with God.
WALKING WITH GOD IS A TEDIOUS MARATHON, FULL OF SWEAT AND GRIT AND A RUGGED DETERMINATION.
Running a marathon means enduring all the way to the finish line. Asa failed.
But there is one BETTER ASA, who walked that tedious marathon; sweat fully like blood at the Garden of Gethsemane, stumbled along the Road of Golgotha, with a sheer determination to walk after God’s plan of salvation and redemption of sins upon mankind, even death on the cross.
On the cross, He endured the pain, despising the shame so as to complete this walk that man has failed before God.
He walked after God’s perfect will in OBEDIENCE so that today if we have walked out of sync with God in DISOBEDIENCE, He can atone for it.
His perfect walk secured for us this RECONCILIATION WITH OUR FATHER GOD so that one day in His presence in eternity to come, we can all play in His presence.
But as of now, we are able to walk before God in the blamelessness that Christ has purchased for us so that we can always have our Father God behind us, protecting and watching every step of our walk.
Such kind of knowledge gives us security as His children.
Nothing in our walk happens without the watchful eyes of our Father God.
Have you failed God today in your walk with Him?
Have you failed God today in your walk after Him?
Have you failed God today in your walk before Him?
Have you failed God today in your walk in Him?
If so, then look up to Jesus. 2000 years ago on the cross, He became the DISEASED FEET OF ASA by allowing man to nail his two feet.
His perfect walk WITHGod for 33 years was paralyzed at the cross so that today when in any of the walk that you have failed God, His CRUCIFIED FEET, RIDDEN WITH THE DISEASES OF ALL OUR FAULTY WALK, CAN BECOME OUR ATONEMENT, OUR FORGIVENESS, OUR CLEANSING AND OUR RESTORATION.
Take all your faulty walks and come to the foot of the cross and look up at the nail-pierced feet of Christ.
His feet were pierced so that He can give you a perfect walk with Him again.
And He has not left you to walk for life with Him alone. He has sent His Holy Spirit, the paraclete, the one who walks alongside WITH you so that you will not faint in this marathon but to finish this journey.
Asa failed in his walk with God, symbolized by his diseased feet.
Even so, remember GRACE.
The people gave Asa a fitting burial and remembered him as a man with a wholehearted devotion.
When we forget God in our successes, when we cease to seek God in our trials, when we fail to train for the long race and lose the walk, there is still GRACE.
There is grace in the cross of Jesus for all those who have failed in these four walks of the believers.
CONCLUSION
Let’s come to God and repent and ask for the perfect walk of Christ to infuse our heart.
Let’s once more see graphically the nail-pierced feet of Christ on the cross so that in thankfulness and gratefulness to that atoning death of Christ, we will strive to be a friend of God, an obedient servant to our Master God, a child of God to our Father God and a body that abides in Christ, the Head of the Church.
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