Welcome to the InTouch podcast with Charles Stanley for Tuesday, May 19th. If you're like most people, we start with good intentions to strengthen our commitment to the Lord. But I often struggle to make it last. Today, get a fresh mid-year reset with practical principles for consistently walking in step with God. All of us need to learn how to walk in step with the Son of God, who is our Savior, our Lord, and our Master.
And there are a lot of verses in the Bible about walking. For example, the first time you find anybody walking in the Bible is who? God walking in that third chapter of Genesis when the Bible says, and the Lord came walking in the cool of the day. The next time, just in the fifth chapter, the Bible says that Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.
So we could go through lots of other verses, and of course, in the 23rd Psalm, he says, Yea, though I what? I walked in the shadow of death. And some folks say, I'd like to have that run rather than walk, because we don't like those kind of times. The 30th chapter of Isaiah, he talks about as we walk, we hear a voice behind us saying, This is the way, walk ye in it. In the 40th chapter of Isaiah, in that verse, it says, For example, if we wait upon the Lord, we'll run and not be weary, we'll walk and not faint.
Then you go to the New Testament, there are lots of verses, especially with the Apostle Paul. He says in the sixth chapter of Romans, he said, once you and I trust Jesus as our Savior, we begin to do what, to walk in newness of life. Not like we used to walk. We're not walking in step with the ones we used to walk in step with. It's a new kind of life.
And somewhere along the way, I think a lot of believers have forgotten the fact that it's a new kind of life. What makes it so new is this: that now it's not God up yonder and me down here doing the best I can, it's Jesus living on it inside of us through the Holy Spirit and doing what? He's the one who's living it out through us. You say, well, if he's going to do it, I don't have any responsibility. Oh, yes, I do.
I have the responsibility to believe what he says, trust what he says, his promises, and to obey him.
So the big question is, this is what I want to spend the rest of the time on, what do I have to do to walk in step with the Lord?
Now. I could give you a lot of sentences and explain this, that, and that, and so forth. I'm only going to give you six words. If you and I will practice these six words, we will walk. Listen, in harmony, in concert with.
in a way that you and I can say, sure. I'm in step with God. I'm not arguing with him. Don't have things in my life that shouldn't be there. But I want to just lay these out for you to think about, if you will.
And the first word... is surrender.
Now This is where, for most people, it all begins and stops. because they don't want to surrender themselves to God. But this is the first step. That is, if I'm going to walk in the step of the Lord Jesus Christ, I must surrender my life to him. That settles the issue.
That now I acknowledge that, listen, that he's the one who's giving the direction about which way we're going. When he says To the left, we go to the left. When he says to the right, we go to the right. In step with him means, listen, I'm following him.
Now The second word is sensitivity. Why do we say sensitivity? Very important. How are we going to walk? in step with him If we don't listen to him.
So that means that I have to keep my antennas out. Ask you a question. When you wake up in the morning, What's the first thoughts that come to your mind? They used to say to him, And Lord Jesus, I want you to guide me today. I'll surrender my life to you today that I'm going to walk in your ways and your steps.
I want you to guide me through your Holy Spirit, wherever you want me to go, whoever you want me to meet, whatever you want me to do, whatever you want me to give, whatever. When you begin the day, You can begin the day in step with Jesus Christ every single day you choose to do so. But it begins with that surrender and your willingness to listen. And then the third word is scripture.
Now I put them all in the S so you can't miss them. And that is, you'll never learn how to walk in step with him until you learn how he walks. You say, well, how do I learn that? One of the simplest ways to learn it is to read the Gospels. How did Jesus walk?
What were his ways? How did he operate? And of course, also, you could add Paul's epistles, and that's what he did. He sort of explained to us, really, the life that Jesus has given us. When I think about the importance of learning the scripture at this point, and this is the important thing.
Listen, only when I get in the Word of God and see how Jesus walked. and see what he wonders about. Will I be able to listen to identify Not only did I'm hearing the right voice, but... It will help me identify those deceptive, alluring things out here that are going to pull me out of step with him and into step with something else. How do you learn the ways of God?
You learn the ways of God by reading how God operates, how He does, why He works. What are the ways of God? How does he think? How does he work? How does he operate?
There's some things that you and I know that, listen, that God would never lead us to. If you stay in step with him, you never go in there. You stay in step with him, you're never going with them. You stay in step with him, you're not going to want that thing. You stay in step with him, things are going to be fantastic.
Will there be suffering and heartache and pain? Yes. And you know what? In step with Him, you'll learn something from every single one of those experiences that will profit you the rest of your life. And so, walking in step with Him does not mean ease, comfort, and pleasure.
It means that you and I are learning. That we're developing, that we're growing in Christ's likeness, that something fantastic is going on on the inside of us. And so, what you have to do is decide in your own heart what's the most important thing in your life: what you have, where you've been, who you're with, or who you are in Him, what you have in Him, and where He's leading you. you have to decide what's the most important. And once you understand that you can walk in step with the Son of God.
And that is that you can rise every morning knowing. That, Lord, I'm surrendering my life to you at this point. I want to do what you want me to do. And so Is he going to say I'll forget it, no. And he's not going to say, well, look what you did yesterday, no.
But you see, it requires time. to read the Word of God. and to dwell upon the truth. This is why I said, I always say, bring your Bible. Bring your Bible to church and bring your notepad.
I bring you something that you can write. And if you only remember this whole message, six words. Everything else you may forget. If you remember those six words in the morning, you get up and you say, okay. Today.
Surrender my life to you, Lord. And not only that, I want to be sure that I want to listen to you all day long today. And I want to be in your word. Whether it's in the morning, it's always a good time to open God's word in the morning and say, all right, Lord, is there something you want to say to me? There's something you need to say to me.
And um When I think about what Paul said, for example, in this 17th verse, listen to what he says. And you see, if you're not in the word, you can get out of step. 17th verse of the fourth chapter.
So this I say and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer as the Gentiles or as the unbelievers also walk. And how do they walk? In the futility, the emptiness of their mind. That is, they don't have anything it satisfies. Being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that's in them, because of the hardness of their hearts.
They having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. You did not learn Christ in this way. That is, you and I walk in step with him.
Some things won't do, places won't go, people we won't deal with. Because why? Here's the reason. Because listen, he says, that's the way of darkness. That's the way that's very dissatisfying.
And when a person walks, listen, out of step with the Lord. in step with the world, you're going to get disappointed. You're going to get disillusioned. And listen, you're going to lose. And every day a person lives outside of the Lord Jesus Christ, they're losing.
Every day that you live in Him. And you walk in step with Him. God is doing something in your life. And just because you and I can't see the results today, and because, for example, that we can't measure it, and because it doesn't fit exactly how we like to picture things, it's what's going on on the inside. Scripture is a very important part of it.
Now, the next word is just the big word for prayer, supplication. And the reason I put it up there is because it starts with the S. And the second thing is because we're talking about, listen, not just now I lay me down to sleep, pray the Lord my soul to keep, we're talking about strong praying. Diligent, strong praying, crying out to God. If you and I are going to walk in step with Him, We have to learn how to pray.
That is, that must be key. For example, when you wake up in the morning, as we said, if you tell him that you. Want to surrender your life afresh and do this morning for this day? You've been talking to him, you're praying. And so I don't know where prayer is in your life.
For most people, it's an emergency cord. When things look bad, pull it fast. And so oftentimes nothing happens, and they wonder why nothing happens, is because, listen, if you only pull it when you're in trouble. That sends a bad message to the master. Listen, what he's up to is making us as much like him as he has the power to do so, and at the same time not override our will.
That's what he's up to. And so that means that you and I develop a relationship with him. The whole idea here is walking in oneness with him, in step with him, because that's how you and I develop this intimate, personal, unbelievable, indescribable, awesome relationship personally with Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Jesus was an awesome man of prayer. And it's interesting that on these occasions that are mentioned, and there are not very many of them, but the fact that he's up early.
And that he's Praying and decisions that he made, and you think about what was he doing the night before they took him and beat him and crucified him the next day. He's in Gethsemane. Pray. What's he doing? getting direction.
And help. Listen, you're talking about praying. That was not a now lay me down to sleep. That's supplication, crying out to God because of the deep, deep, deep feelings of concern that he had. You gonna walk in step with the Lord?
You got to be a praying person because if not, listen, if you're not praying, you're not listening. If you're not listening, you're going to get out of step. If you're going to walk in step with him, then there's got to be supplication. Then of course When you think about it, you think about um Walking with Him and what does all that mean?
Next word is self-denial. What does that mean? Does that mean deny myself of this new car and this new house and these new clothes? No. Self-denial means, I am willing to say to the Father, I do not want to run my life.
I do not because we all have a self. I do not want to run my life. I do not want to be in control of my life. I want you to control my life.
Now, if I walk in step with him, there'll be some things. Watch this carefully. that are not sinful. Not wicked, not vile. But if I walk in step with him, I'll never have them.
They be good things. I'll never have them. Why? because it's not his direction for my life. And the same thing is true of all of us.
People say, well, I'd like to do this.
Well, if it's the Father's will, and if He leads you there, then that means it's good for you. Listen, whenever you're walking in step with him and he's got you going this way and you think, well, for sure I thought that's where I was going and that's what I was going to have, remember this: that he who is all-wise. The Bible says we're to walk wisely. If I'm walking wisely, I'm going to walk in step with him. If he avoids and detours around something that's blaring at us, that means that he knows that's not good for us.
So I'd ask you a question. Do you really and truly want something that God doesn't want you to have?
Now I wouldn't dare ask you to raise your hand because it'd be embarrassing.
Some people would say Well, to be honest, yes I do. The truth is, if you would just stop and think. Whatever the Lord Jesus denies us of, is perfectly for our good. And all of us would have to admit. More than likely.
Yeah, I have prayed for some things, and after time went by, I realized I thank God, thank God, thank God He didn't answer my prayer. Amen. And you see, if we're walking in step with him, it doesn't mean we'll never make a mistake. But if we make a mistake, We'll correct it quickly and say, Thank you, Father. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I wasn't listening, got diverted, got my attention over here somewhere. But self-denial means that there are some things in life that just do not fit who we are. And um if I think about it Walking in step with Him, there is peace. There is tranquility, there is contentment, there is joy, there is satisfaction. Troubles, heartaches, trials, burdens, yes, but beneath all that, I'm learning, learning how to trust Him, I'm getting insight, seeing things I've never seen before, know a different way to help somebody.
In other words, when you're walking in step with Him, listen carefully, you cannot lose. You cannot lose walking in step with Him. Listen, out of step, you cannot win. You may get something temporarily, but it won't last. It'll turn to ashes in your hand.
cannot beat walking in step with him. Self-denial.
Well, there's one last word. Nut service. Look at that one.
Now if you look at the life of Jesus What was he doing? When I think about what a simple life he lived in some ways, now complex in others. He said, The Father sent me not to be served, but to serve and to give my life for others. Lay it down, crucifixion. When you walk in step with Jesus Christ, You will serve God.
Now, the reason I know that is this: if he didn't intend for you to serve him, he wouldn't have given you a spiritual gift. which Peter says, and says it so very clearly, in this fourth chapter. When he says, as each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. There is no excuse. For a believer not serving God in some fashion.
Now, we're not talking about getting on the stage or preaching or leading music or singing in a choir or orchestra, all these are important. It's where you work. It's where you live. Every single one of us has the privilege of serving God in some fashion every day. Walking in step with him.
and serving him doesn't mean the same thing as just being busy. There are a lot of people who are just busy. When you're serving him, you are carrying out that action. on the basis of who you are. and the fact that you're being obedient to God.
and you are available for him to work. His life in and through you. to speak to somebody else's life, deal with them in such a fashion that it helps them.
Now, you got six words. I want to challenge you to write them in your Bible. And then. Tomorrow morning when you get up?
Now, you know, when I give you suggestions, it's only for your good, and I know it works. There's some things that I have on my desk that I read every day.
Sometimes things I put on the mirror in the bathroom, I read every day. I want to get it in my mind so that I that's just the way I think.
So if you will put in your Bible Wake up tomorrow tonight before you go to bed, and you can just say to him, Now, Lord. Tomorrow morning. It's better to wake up in the morning and say, Lord, today. Here I am. to walk In step with you today.
And just go through those words. And just end it by saying, However you want me to serve you, with whom and to whom. Here I am, Lord. I'm listening. And I'm trusting you.
And I'm believing you. And I'm thanking you ahead of time that before this day is over, I will have walked in step with you. and I will have discovered something fantastic. Because he's who he is. your life will never be boring.
walking in step with him. Amen. Father, how grateful we are this morning. for the wonders of your word. And I pray the Holy Spirit will sink this truth deep into every single person's heart.
I pray for someone today who is not saved. Not a Christian. Never trusted you as their Savior. Help them to understand what they're missing. That no matter how much money they have, a position or prominence, prestige, and all the rest.
All of that together. Wouldn't equal. What it means to walk in step with Jesus Christ. Create within their heart such a hunger for truth and Life and life. Yeah.
They'll turn their back on everything. In order to receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, And this we ask in His wonderful name. Amen. Uh Thank you for listening to part two of Walking in Step with God. For more inspirational messages like this one, visit our online 24-7 station.
And if you'd like to know more about Charles Stanley or In Touch Ministries, stop by intouch.org. This podcast is a presentation of In Touch Ministries, Atlanta, Georgia.
