Sermon Transcript: Traveling with Jesus “Getting Ready” (by Evang. Willia Odom)

Praise the Lord everybody.

Today I greet you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ who is the head of my life. You see, he walks with me and he talks to me and he tells me that I am his own, and today I come to tell of his goodness. I come to lift him. I come to let Him know that I thank Him for all that He has done. For if it had not been for my God, where would I be today? So, as I proceed to give to you what God has given to me to bring to you, I pray that you join me in prayer.

“Lord, I come before you in prayer, asking you dear Lord to speak to my heart Lord so that your people will open up their hearts and hear what thus saith the Lord, and that somebody may come running asking what can I do to be saved. And Lord I am asking you to speak to my Heart that I be able to reach some soul as I deliver your word. I thank you, in Jesus name I pray. Amen

St. Luke 9:23 – and He said to them all if any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take his cross and follow me.  

(One Day at a Time)
Travelling with Jesus “Getting Ready”

The impulse to pursue God originates with God, but the outworking of that impulse is our following hard after him. All the time we are pursuing Him, we are already in his hand.

The greatest joy and the highest privilege I have had in my life is to journey with Jesus, because I realize the riches that await me when we choose to follow after God’s heart.

Getting Ready

Sometimes we may have decided in life that we’re going on a long journey, and as you begin to make plans, you may get all excited. There will be much excitement and anticipation. You talk about your trip. You tell your friends. Your thoughts are continually preoccupied with everything that must be accomplished and all that must be packed before you can actually depart. Even in the midst of your normal routines, your focus is always drawn to your impending travel. You expend a lot of energy just in getting ready to go.

And by the time you are actually ready to go you are so exhausted; but you still take that trip. And we have to be that way on this journey with Jesus. Just like we don’t cancel our trip to go on our vacation or wherever we might be going, we have to stay on focus with Jesus. Because you see, this trip is more important. This trip is eternal life everlasting. At the end of this trip there is everlasting life.

If you have anything in your life that is stopping you from following hard after God’s heart, move it out of the way. For he said I am the way, the truth and the light. So let us take one day at a time.

You see we live in a world full of wickedness, and it’s a harsh place to live. We need a destination that will allow us to travel a different path toward a righteous, safe, eternal dwelling. Deuteronomy 33:26-27 tells us there is no God like the God of Jeshurum who rides through heaven to your rescue, sublimely through the skies! God’s eternal is your home, and underneath are the everlasting arms.

God eternal is our home and he invites us to journey toward his heart. He sent his only son to purchase us and to prepare a place for us.

The opportunity to travel to this destination came at great expense. Any sacrifice to go on this journey will be honored.

We get that uncertain feeling when we make a decision to journey toward God’s heart, for the destination is shrouded in mystery. It raises the question: you ask yourself, Am I ready for such an important expedition? Am I properly prepared? Do I have suitable clothes? Do I have to learn a new language? Do I have the right road maps? I can’t go until everything is in place.

You see the word journey originally meant a march of just one day. A journeyman meant a worker by the day. Journal a daily record.

Once we understand that the journey begins with our commitment to travel toward the heart of God, we can be free of the fear of being unprepared. Each day becomes precious because each day is a part of the process that takes us closer to the heart of God. That’s when all the preparation and sacrifice necessary to arrive at our destination takes on new meaning.

How often we tell ourselves, tomorrow I will be more consistent in prayer. Next week I will study more. We so easily forget that each day is part of our journey. Our journey to the heart of God does not begin tomorrow. The choices we make today determine whether we move toward him, or toward self and the world.

Ask yourself the question, where am I on my journey? waiting to begin or traveling day by day. When we think about the young man, the prodigal son who left home. Picture a restless young man. His life too tidy, too narrow. He asked his father for his inheritance and he takes off on his own journey. He travels far away from his father’s home and heart.

The young man is free to live his own life now. He no longer has to ask his father’s permission for any actions he wants to take. At first, it is freeing to wake up in the morning and do whatever he wants with no accountability to anyone.

But after a period of time his poor choices begin to affect his carefree lifestyle. And to make things worse, there is a famine in the land. He finds himself not only feeding the swine, but also eating with them. You see his journey shaped by his daily decision, has led him to a bitter place. He realizes that he would be better off as his father’s servant. So he returns to his father who readily embraces him.

You may never wake up one day and act on a rash impulse to head out of town for the pleasure of the far country. But your daily choices will set you on a certain course. Each day becomes essential in determining which direction your life will take.

So don’t wait until tomorrow to start your journey with Jesus. Our theme today says Christian women on the Move for God. We need to get on the move for God journey toward that morning sun; the evening sun will be too late. We have to get our life in order if we are to walk with God. We have to ask ourselves how often we postpone our walk with God until our life seems a little more under control.  When I don’t have to work so hard…when the children are in school…when my parents are better…when I have more time…then I will begin my journey. It’s a sad thing to go through life without realizing that our walk toward God’s heart is a daily journey. We cannot make up for lost time. We can never recover yesterday.

You see in this light Jesus word becomes flesh. “If any one wishes to come after me, let Him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Our walk with the Lord has to be a daily commitment to identify with Jesus. And when you know this, you feel free. You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to have all the spiritual discipline in place. Just be willing to follow Christ. Then each day becomes a time of preparation. Each day, no matter what it brings, becomes a part of the process on our journey toward God’s heart.

We may get discouraged and think we are not making spiritual progress. That’s the devil’s job to make us feel that way. That we are not growing in grace. But don’t worry. Be not weary in well doing. The Lord sees and he knows, and I’m so glad he knows. We have to understand that God works in the daily circumstances of our life. Our part is not to look at our situation but to set our hearts to draw near to our heavenly father. So don’t worry about tomorrow. Don’t worry about what you don’t have. Your heavenly father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for Him and make the kingdom of God your primary concern. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring it’s own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. Matthew 6:31-34