WHERE HAVE WE BEEN LED THROUGH THESE YEARS?

Phil 3:12-14
12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may
apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which
are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Rom 7:19-24
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity
to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Gal 5:17
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to
the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
2 Pet 1:5-8
5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in
the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
INTRODUCTION :
Everything that comes to a person’s life leads him to something.
A student may be led to acquire knowledge – but where does this knowledge lead him? In most cases, his
acquisition of knowledge leads him to state of more ignorance of God. A young man is led to a successful
career – but where does his career lead him? If he is not grounded, he will be led by his success to a life of
gross immorality.
You look for a friend but where does that friendship lead you? It leads you to a life of compromise and
worldliness. More ironical is when in the end you would say, “Sana hindi ko na lang siya nakilala.”Education
led you to a life farther from God; friendship led you to a life of more sin; success led you to a life
more destroyed than successful.
But where have you been led all these years? You came to know Christ, it led you initially to a life of joy.
Then you came to know some believers, now your are offended! You are out of church! Or you came to know
Christ and His Word. You’ve known some great truths. You’ve known justification. Where is your godliness?
Of you came to know His grace, where is your humility? Or you came to know sanctification, where is your
separation from sin? Or you came to know salvation? Where is your witness? Or you came to know the will of
God? Where is your obedience? Or you came to know the Sovereign grace of God, where is your service?
You came to know Christ? Where is he in your life? You came to be in a true church? Where is your
involvement? You came to know the pastor? Where is your support? You came to be a member? Where is
your fellowship?
Or you came to be a faithful? Where is your edification of other? You came to be a leader? Where is your
servant attitude? You came to be a preacher, you became more puffed up.
You gained knowledge, you gained success, you gained position, you gained a relationship, you gained a
work, you gained a blessing, you gained…WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN LED BY EVERYTHING THAT
CAME TO YOUR LIFE? Can you say, you are stronger, you are more faithful, you are more matured, you are
more serving, you are more pleasing, you are more of a blessing, you are more respected, you are more godly,
you are more pure, you are more likeminded, you are more sanctified, you are more involved?
Are you been more thankful, more humble, more obedient, more submissive, more understanding, more
approachable, more trusting, more spiritual…
Phil 4:8
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are
just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report;
if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
You became a staff, you became a choir member, you became a leader, you became sentinel, you became an
usher – where have you been led by all these? What became of you? You came to have more years? What
has become of you?
You went through an experience, what became of you? You came through a disease, what became of you?
You were given a house, a car, a cellphone, what became of you?
Phil 4:11-13
11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be
content.
12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am
instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
To be like Jesus…
More like the Master…
Let Others See Jesus in Me…
My Desire, To be Like Jesus
Where we should be led by all these things:
A) A DEEPER AND MORE ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
The Word of God pictures to us different relationships we have with God:
Creator-Creation; God-Man; Master-Servant; Lord-Slave; King-Subject; Saviour-Sinner; Teacher-Follower;
Husband-Wife; Father-Son; Physician-Sick; Potter-Clay; Giver-Needy
But sadly, with so much picture of these relationships, we fail to see them and thereby and as a result, we
fail in going deeper and being more established in our relationship with Him.
Phil 3:10
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being
made conformable unto his death;
Phil 3:8
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my
Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
KJV
B) A MORE DEFINED COMMITMENT TO THE LORD
Have all things that came to our lives led us to having a more defined commitment to Him? Maybe we
almost had but failed again. After we realize all the goodness of God and His will, the more we were
afraid to make commitments! Yet we come to Him in our wits end!
Rom 12:1-2
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may
prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Rom 6:13
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto
God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Phil 1:20-21
20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all
boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
C) A STRONGER FAITH IN HIM
What do you think did all the miracles that Jesus did make of the disciples?
Heb 11:6
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and
that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
James 2:17-20
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I
will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
D) A DEVELOPMENT OF RIGHT MOTIVATION (FOR OURSELVES AND FOR OTHERS)
Our motivation in God’s service must always be checked if the same is right.
“Kaya mo yan…”
Phil 4:13
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Phil 2:1-3
1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if
any bowels and mercies,2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord,
of one mind.
3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better
than themselves.
E) A SCRIPTURAL ATTITUDE
We all did not have the right attitude and character when we started…But after all the teachings,
learnings, examples, knowledge, doctrine, preachings, lessons, we should have been led to having
Scriptural attitude in all things.
Phil 4:8
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there
be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Phil 2:14-16
14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked
and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain,
neither laboured in vain.
F) A GODLY RELATIONSHIP WITH ONE ANOTHER
A godly linking together is what we need. Not material (only when we need money). Not physical.
Rom 12:10
10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
1 Peter 3:8-11
8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be
courteous:
9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto
called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they
speak no guile:
11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
1 Cor 12:12-22
12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many,
are one body: so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be
bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the
body?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the
smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have
no need of you.
22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
G) A SPECIFIC AREA OF INVOLVEMENT IN THE MINISTRY
Eph 4:12
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Acts 20:24
24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my
course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the
grace of God.
2 Cor 4:1
1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;
2 Cor 5:18
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the
ministry of reconciliation;