Rivers Change
Lewis and Clark Expedition 1804 They did not have full information The boats were “Best Technology” They came a to place where they need to re-think the whole “Boat thing”
You guy’s want to carry this thing?
So it is with life… There are times when it just makes sense to change It is not easy and good leadership is not going to insist on keeping a boat that does not work!
Good leadership is going to look upstream That is not easy – Lewis and Clark would say we thought Keelboats were best. They had the wisdom and courage to make a difference between the tools needed for the journey and the journey itself
When the journey gets hard… There are those who will for many reasons, (usually lack of faith - driven by fear) will say, we have gone far enough! They abandon the journey.
Consider your personal journey in the Shafter church of Christ When you started you believed in the rightness of our journey. That it justified possessing the freedom to worship God according to the New Testament? What did it cost you?
Do you still believe it was the right journey? Our journey has to do with freedom to follow the teachings of God free from the creeds of men. There is a difference between our journey and the tools we use to make the journey.
“Seek First” thinking Danger is every present - In the days of Jeroboam ten tribes followed him Jeroboam dividing Israel because of his hard headed brother Rehoboam and his tax program.
Jeroboam cause the people to abandon their journey 1 Kings 12 If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, Jeroboam thought to himself,… “The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David
He abandoned the journey After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” 1Kings 12:28
We must know and appeal to the Scripture. If we think that worship instructions, going to Jerusalem, or golden calves were just tools we are wrong. We must know and appeal to the Scripture.
The Scripture is God speaking to us This belief is the reason for our journey
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
What are our tools? This building, the landscape, the air conditioners, the carpet, the chairs, the Thursday evening, community feed, Meeting for Taco Tuesday, Our song Books, this Screen…the list goes on.
Are some of our tools outdated? Are there some things we think are Scripture that are really just tools? Some of our children attend in building that do not bear the name Church of Christ and they had to decide the difference between the journey and the tools to get there.
The ever present danger. I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he appears to set up his Kingdom: NIV I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, KJV
Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Determine the difference between the tools and the journey The challenge Determine the difference between the tools and the journey
How? Stay in the word of God