  No.10254-Anniv.-Pastor
  
 Another Mile 
Walking In God's Shoes
  A sermon by Roosevelt Wright, Jr.
  Pastor of the Tabernacle Baptist Church
  Monroe, La.
  
  August 1976
  
  Ê SCRIPTURE: ÒTherefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.Ó Deuteronomy 8:6
  
  Introduction
  
  Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live someone else's life?Ê
  If we could trade places with someone we know and see life from their perspective for a year, would our views or attitudes change?
  Suppose you could spend a week as the pastor of your church, would your perspective about that role change? After all, how hard could it be? All he has to do is preach a sermon every Sunday and say prayers occasionally; how hard can that be? He gets a special parking place at the church, love offerings, and a salary, not to mention anniversary programs, free dinner invitations, and gifts. Many people think it would be easy to be a pastor.
  As you prepare to swap places with him for a week, you might need to rearrange your schedule. Why? Because before the pastor is the church leader, he is first and foremost a follower of God.
  He walks in the path that God has given him. The godly pastor makes time every day to study the word of God, pray and seek God's direction. Are you ready?
  The pastor is a husband to his wife and father to his children, which means he has to show love, respect, and interest in the lives of his family. He listens to his wife and spends time with his children.
  That's difficult because we call and interrupt him frequently. We have a family emergency and need his advice. A church member is sick, and he is needed at the hospital. A youth is in trouble with the law and needs his support. A troublesome deacon or department leader is stirring up mess and causing division and his the subject of rumors because someone posted on social media that he has a sidepiece.Ê
  He has to attend an important community meeting, have lunch with a member's brother who's visiting from California, help a homeless man get shelter for a night, make arrangements for a battered wife to get help, and a teenager in the church is threatening suicide, and he is the only one who has the teenÕs ear.
  A single woman calls him for private counseling, but she wants him to come at night; his wife complains that he's at the church six days a week. His son complains that he missed another game; he also missed his daughter's recital because he visited a nursing home.
  As each day ends, he struggles for time to begin the 20 hours of preparation and prayer necessary for his Sunday sermon. He dozes off to sleep with his Bible in his lap. He missed his morning exercise, skipped lunch, munched fast food, and gained another pound.
  Are you still ready to swap places with your pastor?
  Most members forget that the pastor has very little time for himself. If he pastors a small church, he is probably part janitor, yardman, program planner, teacher, leader, preacher, healer, and troubleshooter. And many pastors do all of that after they come home from working a full-time job.
  Before criticizing the pastor, it might be better to walk a mile in his shoes emotionally.
  What makes it all rewarding for pastors is the knowledge that they are obeying God's will and doing work that pleases God. They are literally walking in the spirit of God, and it is inspirational. It is rejuvenating!Ê
  Anniversaries, such as this one today, let's the church focus on the person who has been leading us in the journey, what has been taught, and how well we have followed.
  Anniversaries allow us to say, "We understand," because God has shown us what it means to walk a mile in the pastor's shoes.
  When we celebrate the anniversary of the pastorate, we reflect upon our journey with him and lift him up before God for the sacrifices he has made.
  As Christians, let us salute the pastor the Lord has given us to guide us along the way. Today, let's think about the years our pastor has served as our spiritual leader and speak a word of encouragement to him as we ask God to shower him and his family with health, strength, and blessings from on high.
  
  Exposition
  
  This text focuses on the ways God commanded Israel to walk in the way of the Lord.
  Moses was 120 years old and had shepherded Israel's journey for 40 years. He led them out of Egypt and through their 40-year wilderness journey. Now at the Jordan River, literally a stone's throw from the Promised Land, he gives them a final charge. He challenges them to keep walking on the Godly path.
  That would seem to be a no-brainer. Why wouldn't they look to God? Hadn't he provided for them and protected them in the wilderness? Moses' spiritual eyes saw the challenges ahead, especially the challenge of idolatry because the people of the land had many gods, and they worshipped them.
  Israel walked thousands of miles in God's shoes. He kept their clothes and shoes from wearing out. Though they traveled on foot in a dry country that was rough and untrodden, their feet didn't swell because God preserved them through his mercy and kindness.
  As pastor of this million-member flock, Moses had walked the journey with them. When they hungered, he hungered. When they were thirsty, his lips were dry as well.
  He had literally walked in their shoes.
  It wasn't an easy walk. At times the people criticized him and even rebelled against him. They praised him in victory and turned on him in times of trouble.Ê
  Only those close to him understood him fully. He was a man of God with a physically challenging and spiritually draining mission. They knew what it was like to walk a mile in his shoes.
  In his closing message to Israel, Moses directed the people to look forward to Canaan and walk even more miles in God's shoes.
  
  A mile in GodÕs shoes
  
  To walk a mile in another person's shoes is to go where they go and experience what they experience. To walk each mile of our life's journey in God's shoes, we must consider.
  OUR ACTIVITIES REFLECT OUR WALK WITH GOD: The Mosaic law required Israel to keep God's commandments and "Walk" in his ways. Walking in God's ways involves our daily activities, all of which should reflect the character of God. This walk is not a physical walk, like a walk to a neighborhood store, but a lifestyle aligned with godliness.Ê
  In the Old Testament, we learned that God blessed those whose walk was Òordered" or in sync with the will of God. In Psalm 1, David said, "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful, But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night." He concluded that his life was better, clearer, and happier when he stayed within God's law.
  It means a great blessing is in store for those who live by God's law. That's why he adds in verse 25, "I have been young, and now I'm old, but yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his seed begging bread."
  That same spirit is reflected in the New Testament. Christians are encouraged to walk in the newness of life in Romans 6:4. We are also encouraged to walk after the spirit in honesty (Romans 13:13). Our activities are to include good works (Ephesians 2:10), love, and wisdom.Ê
  New Testament Christians are told to follow or walk after the Lord's commandments in 2 John 1:6.
  As a man of God, the pastor walks with the Lord.
  Whatever we do, we too should walk with the Lord.
  Whatever we say should reflect the character of the Lord.
  Every activity we undertake should bring honor and praise to the Lord.
  ÊWALKING WITH GOD INSURES THE RIGHT PATH: Our future destination is determined by the paths we take. Initially, our parents choose paths for us and direct our steps. They suggest and sometimes impose a career path for us, such as becoming a doctor, lawyer, nurse, or scientist. They incentivize every step toward their selected career path and discourage "side steps." At some point, we either stay on the parent-selected path or choose our own way. If the course we select is too far from our parent-selected path, we often know we'll walk that path alone, without the guidance and support needed.Ê
  Many have chosen to walk the path of the Israelites in biblical times, the path to least resistance. Israel became distracted several times in their journey and walked a path that included worship of idol gods and ungodly living. It was easier, more convenient, and more satisfying. However, their path choice angered God and caused them to move without his protection or grace.Ê
  If we walk with God, he will help us stay away from evil. That's important because often, we are not sure what evil looks like.Ê
  Evil never comes to us wearing a sign that reads "evil." It usually appears innocently.
  The child predator on the internet presents himself as a friend, not an evil person. The co-worker who encourages illegal activity does so smiling and laughing. The music that talks about drugs, murder, and sex, has a good beat and is exciting; its evil subliminal effect is often hidden.Ê
  The pastor, following God's commands, blazes a path for us that walks us around temptations and helps us identify sin traps along the way. It's the same guidance that a child receives when attracted to the beautiful leaves of a particular bush, only to learn that poison ivy can cause many problems despite its beauty.Ê
  The Godly path keeps us in the company of those who will give us good counsel. Psalms 1 reminds us that there is a blessing for those who do not walk in the counsel of ungodly people. The ungodly are strangers to the godly walk. Their direction is not the Godly direction.Ê
  The pastor constantly reminds us that those who walk with God can be assured that he will help them avoid the pitfalls of life.
  That's why the old warriors sang, "Walk with me, Lord. Walk with me. All along this tedious journey, I want Jesus to walk with me."
  GOD'S SHOES DIFFER FROM MAN'S SHOES: The pastor tries to walk in God's shoes among the congregation to the best of his ability. To walk with God differs from walking in man's shoes. God's shoes guarantee that we will always walk in the right direction at the right pace. God's shoes are rooted in the word of God and do not differ, but there are many types of shoes worn by mankind, including:
  LOAFERS: This describes those who do just enough to get by.
  SLIPPERS: This describes those who sidestep the rules to avoid detection.
  BROGANS: This describes those who walk over people and push their way through.
  TAP SHOES: This describes those who make a lot of noise coming and going but usually little more.
  SNEAKERS: This describes stealth members who operate in the shadows gathering gossip and slander and then spreading it without showing their hand.
  Those who walk with God are directed by God, not the whims of mankind.
  The pastor walks with God.
  Following his example, we also walk with God by spending time in the Word of God. Our walk is associated with consistent prayer, frequent praise, regular witnessing, and living holy lives.Ê
  ÊWhen we walk with God, we enjoy the song that says,
  ÊAnd He walks with me, and He talks with me;
  ÊAnd He tells me I am His Own,
  ÊAnd the joy we share as we tarry there,
  ÊNone other has ever known.
  
  Walk without fainting
  
  Finally, brothers and sisters, we must remember that when we walk with God, he will not allow us to fall faint.
  As Moses spoke his final words of wisdom to Israel, he urged them to walk with God and keep his commandments.
  He also said the people should always fear or respect God and heed his instructions.
  Moses walked with God and lived 120 years. His strength of character never failed him, and his vision never dimmed because he walked with the Lord.
  There is a promise for the pastor and all believers, and it is based on the word "faith" in the face of fatigue, exhaustion, and weariness.
  The Lord promises power and strength to them that are faint and have no strength.Ê
  It is a promise reserved for believers who wait for him and walk with him.Ê
  They are drained and weary, but he gives strength to those who are very weak.
  We pray that God will do for the pastor what he does for us.
  When we are just about to give up, God gives us a reality check: even the youth shall be faint and weary.Ê
  He lets us know that there will be times when even the young will throw up their hands and feel like giving up, but we must wait on the Lord.
  Yet we are reminded that we will not fall faint if we walk with him. He will hold us up with the power of His might if we will just wait on him.
  That's how great-grandma did it. In the heat of the day in the cotton fields of Louisiana, Georgia, and South Carolina, she decided, I'll wait on the Lord.
  That's how great-grandpa did it. In the exhausting heat of the Mississippi delta and the exasperating tensions of the killing fields of Alabama, he decided, I'll wait on the Lord!
  We know that's what they were doing because we heard the old warriors sing:
  Walk together children
  Don' you get weary
  Walk together childrenÊ
  Don't you get weary
  Oh, talk together children
  Don't you get wearyÊ
  There's a great camp meeting in the Promised Land
  If we walk with the Lord, he will give us strength for the journey.
  We may meet sorrow if we walk with the Lord, but God will take our sorrow and turn it into joy!
  No wonder the songwriter declared, "Walk with me, Lord, walk with me! While I'm on this tedious journey, Lord, I want Jesus to walk with me!"
  If we keep traveling in the right direction, it will take us to where we want to go!
  I don't know about you, but I have decided to keep my hand in God's hands!
  This pastor's hands are in God's hands, and he is walking in the path God gave him.
  His mission statement is summed up in five words, "I've got to tell somebody!"
  I've got to tell somebody about Jesus!
  I've got to tell them how he gave me a brand new walk and a brand new talk!
  I've got to tell somebody how he died out on Calvary!
  I've got to tell somebody how he arose early Sunday morning!
  His name is Jesus!
  Every mile of the way, IÕve got to tell somebody!
  
