The Journey, Part 1
Fuel for Your Journey
By Jay Pearson
The creator of Heaven and Earth has chosen you and called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9:
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
God not only called you, he delivered you and has given you redemption and forgiveness.
Colossians 1:13-14:
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
God’s calling is for you to walk in the newness of life, Christ Jesus his Son.
Romans 6:4:
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Jesus has sent you on this journey as he was sent.
John 17:18:
As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
We begin this journey right where we are called. There will not always be a smooth road or an easy path for you to travel. There will be potholes, washouts, bumps, and bruises on your journey in the form of tribulations.
John 16:33:
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
There is one common need for every journey man undertakes. When you start out on a journey you need fuel to carry through to the end. You can’t make it from here to Anchorage, Alaska on one tank of gas. You are going to have to refuel your tank on this journey. Hopefully you’ll do that before you get in trouble. Walking in the darkness along the side of a deserted highway, with a plastic jug in hand, is not the best of circumstances. Also in order to get the best mileage out of your fuel it requires frequent maintenance. Improperly inflated tires reduce your fuel efficiency. A plugged-up air filter will give your intake and exhaust problems and rob you of mileage etc. All vehicles and your earthen vessel and our Christian journey needs maintenance also. There are various things to consider for a memorable and successful journey. We are all on a mission, a journey in life.
On the Christian journey your fuel to carry you through to the end is the Hope, Jesus Christ. Without the fellowship of the Hope you will lose direction, having no fuel to complete your journey. Without the Hope your destination is hopeless. Our hope is essential and that hope is the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Timothy 1:1:
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;
The Hope is not an ingredient. You cannot separate the hope from Jesus Christ, for Jesus Christ is the Hope. Everything that Jesus has promised and every time frame he has proclaimed is in the Hope. With Jesus Christ in you, you have the Hope. You only need to exercise in hope to reap the benefits and rewards. It is a gift and the gift is complete. You can’t buy it or achieve it or produce it. It’s by God’s grace. It is given by the Father through his Son, Jesus Christ. Your very life is in Christ Jesus the Lord.
Colossians 3:4:
When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
If we are to finish our journey we will need to have the hope at the forefront of our quest. There are many trials and tribulations along the journey that require more than we can bear alone. We must put on the Lord Jesus Christ and follow his example of focusing on what was set before Him, the promise of the Father, and not on the immediate circumstance in front of us.
Hebrews 12:2:
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hope is anticipating what you know is waiting for you at the end. Jesus faith was sure, his hope concrete, and the joy was his crown. He knew his Father. He knew where he came from and he knew where he was going. His journey was set in steel.
Psalm 16:8-11:
8 I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
Jesus blazed the trail for you and me. There is nothing along the journey that can separate us from its end if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
Romans 8:38-39:
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The Hope is so fantastic, so cleansing, and so complete that we must have this fuel in our tank for our journey toward its end. Wow, look at the end result of your hope.
1 John 3:2-3:
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
The Hope, Jesus Christ, is our fuel to carry us through to the end of our journey. The end of our journey is eternal life with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
AMEN
Presented March 5, 2017 in Baton Rouge