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**God had a path for Jesus Christ to walk on and to walk in! God has a path for you to walk on and to walk in as well!
Proverbs 3:5-6 5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
**God has a path for you to walk on and to walk in just like He did for Joseph and Mary as well as for Jesus whom Mary was carrying!
**The actions of Joseph and Mary proved once again that God is true to His Word!
**The path that Joseph and Mary took to be together and to get to Bethlehem was not necessarily an easy path, but it was the path God laid out for them and a path He chose for them!
**If each of us would just trust the Lord with all our hearts, not lean to our own understanding, and acknowledge the Lord, He would direct our paths too!!
**If we understand The Path of Christ, we can understand
God’s path for our life!
I. IT WAS A DIVINE PATH
**It was a path that was sent by God!
**God Predetermined it to be so and Predestinated it to be so.
A. It was Foreordained
**Foreordain means to ordain or appoint beforehand.
I Peter 1:18-20 18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
1. His Birth was Foreordained
2. His Blood was Foreordained
**Both His Birth and His Blood were divine, and it was all a part of the plan and a part of the path! He did it all so that you and I could be saved!!
B. It was Foreknown
*Foreknowledge is having knowledge before a thing happens, and God was not caught off guard by this path!
Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
1. Christ was foreknown to be the Son of God
2. Christ was foreknown to be the Salvation of God
**This path was a divine path because Jesus was going down that straight and divine path!!
II. IT WAS A DIRECTED PATH
**It was a path sent for man.
A. The Virgin was under God’s Direction
1. It was told that she was Chosen
Luke 1:28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
**Here’s a lesson in a nutshell. Mary was highly favored because she lived Clean and she lived Close to God!
2. It was told that she would Conceive
Luke 1:31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
a. Mary gave birth to the Holy Child
b. Mary gave birth to the Highest Child
Luke 1:32-33 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
**Despite what the world says, Christ is still Holy and still the Highest!
**God had a plan and a path for Mary and Joseph!
B. The Vision was under God’s Direction
1. God had a vision for Christ’s Life
a. Christ’s Deeds would Glorify God
b. Christ’s Death would Give Grace
2. God had a vision for Christ’s Love
**His love can be seen because . . .
a. He went to the Cradle!
b. He went to the Cross!
**Everything God envisioned Christ would be, Christ was!
**God has a vision for your life also and it involves Christ!
C. The Victory was under God’s Direction
1. Damnation was Conquered and Defeated
2. Darkness was Conquered and Defeated
3. Death was Conquered and Defeated
**Everything about the path that Christ took was directed by God because God knew Christ would prevail!
**God has a victory path for your life also and it includes Christ!
III. IT WAS A DELIBERATE PATH
A. This Path was for Christ to Show Some Things
1. He came to deliberately show His Purpose
a. He came to be a Sacrifice
b. He came to be a Savior
John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
2. He came to deliberately show His Power
a. He showed His Power over Sickness
b. He showed His Power over Sin
c. He showed His Power over Sepulchres
d. He showed His Power over Satan
B. This Path was for Christ to Strengthen Some Things
1. His purpose was to strengthen Followers
Mark 4:33-34 33 And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it. 34 But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.
2. His purpose was to strengthen Faith
Mark 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
**We need to walk this path deliberately that Christ walked so that we can see His purpose and His power.
**God has a path that will strengthen your following and your faith as well!
IV. IT WAS A DESTINED PATH
**He was sent to die.
**It was a Substitution Death
**It was a Sacrificial Death
**It was a Scriptural Death
A. He Died Because of Sin
**It wasn’t even His own sins; it was our sins.
I John 1:7-9 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1. Jesus is the only Cure for Sin
2. Jesus is the only Cleansing for Sin
**His destiny and path for you is to cure and cleanse your sins if you will only come unto Him!
B. He Died Because of Sinners
I Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
1. If you know you will go to Hell, Jesus will save you.
2. If you know you won’t go to Heaven, Jesus will save you.
**Jesus’ destined path was to come for you and save the
corrupt sinner and the chief sinner!
V. IT WAS A DETERMINED PATH
**This path of Christ was determined for Him, but He was also determined to walk this path for you and I!
A. We see Determination in this Planned Path
**God has never had a plan that has failed!
1. This plan was Pure and Holy!
2. This plan was Powerful and Heavenly!
**It was determined that this plan couldn’t fail and wouldn’t fail, and He has a plan for you too!
B. We see Determination in this Performed Path
Romans 4:21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
1. When He Arrived, He performed His Promise!
2. When He Arose, He performed His Promise!
**Everything He promised, He performed, and He did it well! He’ll do the same for your path!
C. We see Determination in this Perfected Path
**He was determined to walk this path because . . .
1. This Path was Best
2. This Path was Blessed
**That’s why it was the perfect path for Jesus to walk down, and He was determined to walk this path!
**You need to walk the path that Jesus has planned, performed, and perfected for your life as well!
CLOSE
**The Path that Jesus walked was planned by God, and it was a Straight Path, a Sure Path, a Sacrificial Path, and a Spirit-filled Path!
**The Lord has a path for everyone of us to walk in throughout our lives! I want the path that He has for me!
**It may not always be an easy path, but it will be an eternal path!
**Will you come and pray that God will make you Christ-like and make your path Straight, Sure, Sacrificial, and Spirit-filled?
