God bless you brothers. The Lord is doing something new, amen! The Lord is moving and each of us has to be ready for what He is doing.

Have you ever had to go somewhere when someone had given you an address to a place you really don't know? Maybe before we had GPS on our phones, maybe a place that’s not even on the phone; you go out to do something, and you wind up getting lost. Who has that happened to? Like, I know I need to be there, but I still got lost on the way. Maybe the address was incorrect, sometimes you can only get there on foot and not with a car, and sometimes it's time to go back, turn around, go back and ask somebody. When we wind up somewhere out of the way and don’t show up at our destination, sometimes it’s just necessary to ask.

Did you know that the Bible constantly tells us about a road? True religion; let's call it The Way, or true relationship with God, True religion is a path, and Jesus said clearly, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Why did Jesus say this? Do you know, church? - because there are many paths in life. Depending on what you want, there are many roads and many different directions. You can end up anywhere, but there is only one path to the Father. Of course, it is Christ Jesus.

There are also many religions and even false gospels. In fact, Paul told the Galatians (in Galatians 1:7-9) to be careful because they are preaching other gospels, and that even if angels came here and preached another gospel to you, you are not to believe it. There is only one true gospel and that is the risen Christ. That's the one and only way. There is no other option.

But the truth is that in life - much like when we try to get somewhere - we can get lost. Right? The path may not be so clear. The other day we were wondering and asked ourselves the question that many Christians ask themselves. (I'm talking about the global church) “Why doesn't today's church look like the ancient church? Why doesn't it look like the church we read about in the book of Acts?” I think one of the reasons, and there are many, is that maybe the church has taken another path; it has taken the fast track.

This is how the world is changing - everything has to be fast and immediate. Technology has made us impatient and we all want things now. We all want issues to be resolved right away, and that mindset has entered the church. It seems that we have taken the wrong path, because if the fruit of the church does not look like what was produced in the old days, it means that something is being done incorrectly. Jesus sent them to be disciples and has done the same with us, telling the church to (Matthew 28:20) “…teach them to obey everything that I have commanded you…” That's our instruction, and from our earlier sermon, we know that Paul told the Ephesians to be imitators of God and not any other thing. We have this as a model to follow.

Do you know that the church is growing? Because it's true, at least in numbers, because there are more and more churches. In certain places like here in Honduras there are more churches than corner stores. And these new churches have tons of people, like 5 to 10 thousand, but these churches are made modern and technological. They adopt many things from the world; some good and others not. It’s not necessarily that all of the tech stuff is bad but they become modern, right? They have all these screens, lights, social networks, videos, concerts and a lot more. Everything is evolving and changing, but there is a question that we must ask ourselves and it is: if today’s church still looks like Jesus - can we be “modern” and look like Christ as well?

Me and a couple of others saw some fruit trees and I told them how happy I was with the trees. Originally the trees were bare but after a lot of watering they started to bloom and now they’re very green, full of leaves, and bearing fruit. One of them asked me how things were going with the trees and I said all these good things, but when we got closer I realized that the fruit wasn't good. What's the use of a tree being this big, full of fruit, and covered in leaves If you can't even eat it! What is that tree for? What does the word of God say about that? There is something interesting in the Word that stuck in my heart. The Bible doesn't say that you will bear good fruit…

The Bible says that there are two types of fruit, good and bad. It doesn't matter which; the fruit will still be tasted and tested. It doesn't matter what you do to change the appearance, green leaves don't matter. The things you work towards in life and how full the church is doesn't matter. It’s all for nothing if the Christian is running around doing things but does not look like their teacher, Jesus. We have to ensure our fruit is good because Christ’s was.

So the fruit is the evidence we need to look for. If the modern church is indeed bearing fruit, what kind of “Christians” are being produced? Because of how the modern church has presented Christianity, everyone is claiming to be Christian now. You can go anywhere and find that churches are not evangelizing because, when you knock on any door, the person answers that they are already a believer. Everyone claims to know God. Are they true Christians? Perhaps. Do they resemble the ancient church? Possibly. But perhaps the time has come to stop and honestly examine whether we are still walking in the right direction.

Again, there is only one way, but the word of God says that there is one wide and one narrow path, and sometimes we have to stop to examine which one we are on. If our fruit doesn't look like our master's, we have to turn around.

Let's go to the word and see the advice that the prophet Jeremiah was giving to his people. Jeremiah 6:16. “This is what the Lord says: Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.” Stop what you're doing, stop for a moment and ask about the ancient paths. This is a call to reflect, to stop on the road and examine our own lives. Stop on the way, stop for a moment and examine your life. Stop in the middle of all this hustle and bustle, in the middle of work, in the middle of children, in the middle of school, in the midst of your studies, in the midst of the bills that are due, in the midst of diseases, in the middle of your problems, in the middle of everything. Stop for a moment and ask yourself, “Is what I'm doing in God's will? Are the people I'm with in God's will? Is this thing that I am undertaking God’s will? Did God tell me to do this or give me permission?” It is a call to examine our lifestyle spiritually. Where are we going? Are we walking in His will?

In Psalm 139:23 David says, “Search me, oh God, and know my heart” We have heard this verse many times, but my question is who actually asks God to do that? Do you know why people don’t? Because a miracle is needed; to do that you must have a humble heart and be willing to ask, “God, examine my heart, put me to the test, and test my thoughts! Help me see if I’m on the wrong track, because my path seems good to me, my life seems good to me. It seems to me that what I'm doing is fine because I think my job, friends, and decisions are good.” Stop for a moment in your life and ask the Lord, “If I'm not on the right track, guide me.”

We are often on that wrong road, right? Even if someone tells us “No, that’s not the way”, or that we are not following God’s will - we are stubborn people, and are wrong to trust in our own abilities and the world around us. Let's remember that God led His people in the desert with a pillar of fire and a pillar of cloud. And that pillar moved when He wanted it to, not when the Israelites did, and the people had to go behind the pillar. What do we want God to do with us? “God, I'm going to do this. Bless me.” That's what we want to do; we want to take our own path in the desert and tell the pillar to follow us. We want it our way.

We all say, “Lord, I trust You. I leave it in Your hands.” The other day, I was with someone. We were going somewhere, and this guy is used to technology; whenever he is in his car, he always plugs the address into his GPS. Even if he’s just going from here to the store on the corner that he’s already been to, he turns it on before he goes. That's right, he’s gotten so used to it. But do you know what? Sometimes modern things still fail.

So we were going somewhere that he didn’t really know, but I more or less knew the way. He tried to put the address in the app, but he put it in wrong (He confused the GPS; obviously this trip was going to be bad). We start down the road and like in life there was a fork with two paths. I tell him, “It's this way” And he said, “Okay, but this says it's around there.” I already know that it's not around there, and If we went that way we would waste time, but the GPS said “it's around there” so he followed it. We drive for a while until he realizes that no, it wasn’t the right direction. A little later, I told him that if he turned at one spot on the way back, we would have to make less turns and get there sooner, and he still says “But it keeps telling me to go this way.” And what do you think he did? He ignored me and trusted what he always did and guess what happened? The return home took forever!

You can always return in life, and you can always come back. Sometimes your return to the right path is quick and simple without much that you need to fix. But sometimes when we get carried away by stubbornness, our return becomes so hard and difficult that we lose a lot of things on the way. You may make it back, but some things will be gone for good.

And I want to tell you, and have already told some others, that our lack of humility - our lack of connection - with God leads us to say things that seem righteous. How can you say “I leave it in God's hands. My life is in God's hands.” What do you mean by that? I'm going to tell you that’s not prayer and that you don’t hear God. I'm going to give you an example: People say they’re going to apply for a job and if they get it, it's from God, and if they don’t it's not. Why? Because they say that’s how everything works in the Bible. No! It doesn't work like that!

If everything worked like that, then Eve would have been in God’s will eating from the Tree of Knowledge because God allowed for the opportunity; the door was open. If Joseph thought that was how it worked when he was alone with another man’s wife who was coming onto him then he would have taken advantage of that because that “door was open”. Samson would probably even say that God opened the door for him to have a Philistine wife - she was there and the option was available. So just because it's “available” doesn't mean God has opened that door for you to walk through it, does it? You have to know God and learn to fear Him. If I’m on the wrong path, I want someone to guide me.

Who wants the Lord to guide them? Then stop walking in your own way, stop making your own paths and return to the ways of the Lord. Let's ask the Lord to guide us again. We trust our work, our family, spouse, talents, abilities, and titles, but none of that will sustain us, none of that will give us peace and security in our soul, and none of that will fulfill God's purpose in our lives.

What exactly did it say in Jeremiah 16? - Stop on the road, examine, look carefully around you and ask for the ancient paths. It's not enough just to stop. You have to observe and use discernment, right? When I talk about old and ancient paths, I'm not talking about objects, customs, older things, or even churches. I don't mean those things. The ancient paths are the biblical principles established by God for His people. And what are those? Truth, obedience, faith, holiness. When do we talk about holiness nowadays? Those are the old paths! Return to faith and obedience! Leave the stubbornness behind!

People will say “God will give me what I want because He’s God”, but that's not what the Bible says at all. We are supposed to ask Him to guide us, not demand that He accompany us in our human ways; That's what many churches teach today - that God will be with you regardless of what you do. How could you even dare to do that! What are you going to tell God? “Stop what You're doing, and be with me on my way.” What type of arrogance is this? That's the arrogance of the modern church, and many have abandoned biblical foundations for comfort and spiritual modernism.

Today's churches do so many things. They have to entertain people, because if people get bored they'll leave. They choose to do all these different things and host activities just to keep people from getting bored or falling asleep. They’ve chosen to fight the way of the world with the very weapons of the world! These churches want to entertain people because there’s a lot of competition from the networks, social media, TV, music, and more. They say that we have to entertain these young people to keep them from leaving church. But that's not what Christ said. Christ told the church to pray so that we don’t get tempted - “Peter, are you falling asleep? John, what's wrong? Are you falling asleep?” We are supposed to check on our brothers and sisters even so that they don’t fall into temptations, but if we don't pray, all that darkness comes in.

Now are we understanding a little more about why our lives might be going the wrong way? Ask God what is wrong with your life and pray not to fall into temptation, because temptation is a trap. The Bible says that the enemy is like a roaring lion that walks around looking to destroy. When a lion attacks, it doesn't do it in the same way as some other animals; it tries to get as close as it can without getting detected, so that when its prey realizes, it’s already too late. That's exactly how our enemy is, so pray that you don’t fall into his trap. And those traps aren't only your vices or a man or woman, it could literally be anything and everything. It could be greed or envy.

Bitterness is a common one; when someone does something to you it leads to unforgiveness, but the Lord says to forgive. How many times? Up to 7 times, 70 times, a thousand times, you have to forgive them. “Just as I forgave you, you have also have to forgive.” Don't fall into the trap of keeping bitterness and resentment in your heart, because the devil is going to use that against you. Pray that you do not fall into the trap of bitterness.

Not only that; don’t be constantly looking at men or women, don’t go out of your way to listen or look at things that you really shouldn’t be, or go out of your way to even be provocative. Those lusts are kept in the heart because many go out of their way to make room for it. Be alert and pray that you don’t get tempted and let it in.

We see all this in Matthew 26:41 (Christ warning his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane). Jesus was about to be delivered up to his enemies, but because the disciples were not praying, they were tempted and fell asleep. People do fall into temptations, and I’m not going to act like I myself have never fallen; but there are others who are actively looking for temptations. They are looking to fall because they want the world. They want to get stuck in the pit, but you have to go back to the ancient roots! To those paths that produced good trees. The path that produced righteous, honorable, and honest men. It raised up society, the church, and families.

Is that the path the church is on now? There are people who are always in trouble with temptation and facing discouragement. They may even be saying “Lord, Lord…” but they are not examining their lives with God. The Word tells us to look at our path, to make the right decisions, and see if we are just going the fast and easy way - going after whatever is comfortable. The ancient paths, the paths of God, have nothing to do with comfort! Ask someone next to you if they’re comfortable. Are you comfortable with your life? If you are, then little by little you are leaving God’s kingdom. Little by little the things that are sacred are being treated as common or ordinary…

Many despise the ancient paths. Maybe because they think it's outdated and want Christianity to come off as “modern”. The truth is that this is the ancient Word of God where you will find eternal life and salvation! There's nothing outdated here! If it was outdated, then I’d still choose its wisdom over the world! Keep your filthy modernity and comfort filled life!

"The truth is that this is the ancient Word of God where you will find eternal life and salvation! "

I meet people nowadays that don't own a microwave. Let’s just ask this for the sake of example: Can you live without a microwave? How long has the microwave been around? How long has humanity been on this planet without a microwave? Has mankind survived? I see a bunch of people who were born in modern days with a microwave acting like they’d make it back then. Take away that microwave, how do you make your instant soup? Are you going to starve? But there are some people that even today are going to go up some mountain, cut some firewood, and haul it back home just to prepare a pot of coffee. It can take up to two days doing it like that. Most of you’d get mad the moment it isn’t getting hot in a minute with the microwave.

I’m not saying that one way is good and the other is inherently bad, what I’m saying is that we don’t want our spiritual life to be like the microwave. Everything has a price and takes effort, and the way of the Lord isn’t instantaneous. The way of the Lord is not sitting in on a Sunday service, listening to the preaching, and saying to yourself “Great, I already did my homework for God and I am going to move on with my life later today.” If that’s what someone is thinking, then they are making those instant soups with their soul. They might encounter the power of God for a moment, but they won’t stay in it and it won’t sustain them for life.

Deuteronomy 5:33, “Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.” What does the Word of the Lord say will happen if we stay in His ways? He will bless you and your land, projects, and dreams. Follow the path that God has already laid out. Thank you God, that you allow me to join on Your path, Your Kingdom, Your will, and that me and my family’s work can be for the Kingdom of God. Everything in my very being comes down to the Kingdom, and I will continue in that walk!

Let’s continue with the Book of Jeremiah - stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is. In the Navy they say to go on the “right track.” It's not just about stopping to find someone who will tell you “That's the way”, but you have to actually walk along that path. It is not enough to just know what the path is, you need to turn away from the world, persevere, and be disciplined to continue on it. It is not enough to know what God's will is, you must be willing to remain steadfast and continually walk in the will of God.

We cannot live off our past deliverances or other people's experiences, right? We can't live by staying the same. God prepares everyone, and we must constantly be renewed. We read in the Psalms of David, and see him constantly say things like, “My soul longs for You, my soul praises You, I want to be with You, Lord, in Your house. I want to be in Your presence. My soul is dry.” We know what David's story is; God chose him from a very young age for the huge task of being the king of Israel. But do we remember how God got him to that point? When the prophet Samuel was looking for him, he didn't find him with the rest of Jesse’s sons because he was out taking care of sheep. He had been given an obligation: take care of sheep. What was he doing at that very moment? Taking care of sheep! The prophet anoints David as king, and what do you think David went and did? Grabbed a robe and rode off on a white horse? No, he went back to take care of his fathers sheep because he wasn't going to neglect the obligation that had been given to him.

I think we all know what we are supposed to do. I am a father, and my obligation as a father is not just to feed my kids, but also pray for and advise them. Can someone like me actually give good advice? I don't know, but if I go to the Word, then I have an obligation to take this counsel and give it. That’s my obligation - to provide biblical advice and pass it on to my children. It’s my obligation to teach my children regardless of whether there are other things that I have to do. So David goes and keeps doing his job, and eventually Saul sends for him because some spirits were tormenting him. People told him that they knew someone (not just anyone could play a harp back then), but he doesn't just know how to play, he's also a great guy - he’s got nice hair, he’s always ready, he takes care of himself and everything. But not only that, out of all the guys who can play the harp, God is with this one. And when David got to him and played, the demons left the king. God was with David, preparing him at every moment.

People saw the character of David; Saul offered him a place in the palace working for him and, and he still returned to take care of his father's sheep, because God had him doing that. David was being prepared through that work. David is most famous because he defeated the giant, but he would never have defeated Goliath if he hadn't fought with the bear and the lion first. When? As a young man tending to the flock. God is not going to give us other things if we don’t do the smaller things he asks of us first. Pray that you don't fall into temptation; drop that idea that God is just going to drop a major responsibility on you, out of the blue, without having any discipline. People dream of doing great things or getting famous but can’t even take care of the basics! They can’t protect their eyes, guard their hearts, or forgive. We need to beat these things into submission and overcome what’s right beside us.

Now tell me, what do you think is easier to fight, a lion or a bear? Show me hands for the lion. Okay, now let's see hands for the bear. Do you know how big bears get! There are bears that get to over 9 feet, just like Goliath. Can you imagine fighting with a bear? And anyone would have said, “No man, let it take the sheep.” And that's how we do many things in life, we go, “No man, it's just that prayer is difficult, I can’t be obedient and doesn't God know my heart anyways?” But David didn't let go of even one sheep, and that's why he was prepared for Goliath. “Look, Goliath! You come to challenge the army of Israel.” As David said - “The Lord delivered me and He will deliver you into my hands, and today I will cut off your head because the Lord will deliver you into my hands.”

You have to understand something that battles are still won nowadays as they were back then - on your knees. On your knees you win the battle, crying out to the Lord in obedience - with integrity. That's how you win; David was a man of integrity, he was not lax in his duties as a shepherd so God was with him on the day of testing. Don't think that he had to suddenly beg God for help when Goliath came, he was already prepared because he lived in truth and obedience. Those are the ancient paths! When the bad days come, God will deliver you, and will deliver the situation into your hands.

So David defeats the giant and becomes famous. What did he do after that? Did he go to his palace and rest? No, he kept on fighting the Philistines until he was made head of Israel's armies. I imagine that David always looked a little dirty for a couple of years - mounted on a horse with long and messy hair, probably had a filthy beard too. He and his friends inspired a whole generation of warriors and the Lord gave them victory after victory. They weren't a bunch of warriors walking around complaining about their lives, they knew there was an enemy out there and that God would deliver them into their hands. People were looking for David so they could kill him, but the Lord was with him because he was walking righteously before Him.

"...battles are still won nowadays as they were back then - on your knees.”

One day he arrived at the palace with his men, a total mess. One of them had fought so long that his sword was stuck to his hand, and just to get even a little water they had to assault a camp and kill hundreds of Philistines. They went through it all in the wilderness and still succeeded because they knew their God was with them.

After a series of calamities (Saul's madness and death, David's exile and fight for the throne), David enters the palace no longer as just a war hero but as king. His experiences changed him; God got him to that point, God did not take His eyes off of him, and gave him the palace and the kingdom because he had been a warrior after His own heart. But now he had a struggle with comfortability. He had gotten used to sleeping on stones while on the run from Saul and having to suddenly get up for a battle, and even grew accustomed to his ribs hurting. Now? He’s got a fancy bed and is surrounded by comforts and women. One day when he was supposed to go to war he simply fell asleep, and in his palace he kept waking up in the afternoon; he had grown far too comfortable with his new life and had lost his discipline.

When you get comfortable, you stop watching out for what you are supposed to be doing and stop growing. Yes, I know, I made the example about a bed; no, having a nice bed isn’t what will destroy your walk. I don’t want to emphasize the material things, but getting comfortable in your life in general. Seeing your own children lost in the world, sinning, and being comfortable with that! Knowing that your friends and others around you may be lost to hell and yet standing still! Comfort enters David and suddenly he doesn't care about what he has to be doing. What did Jesus say we had to be doing (Luke 21:36 and Matthew 26:41)? To be prayerful and vigilant to avoid temptation!

David hadn’t been praying, if he had been he would have been actually doing his duty as king, not wasting time watching his own friend's wife, Beersheba, taking a bath. Tell me he would have done that if he was fasting and praying! Tell me, those of you that struggle with pornography, that if you fasted and prayed you would still continue in it! If you were truly seeking God and just so happened to see something, His grace would be sufficient and you would have the strength to walk the other way; you would know that you are for the Lord and be able to overcome. But King David doesn't keep to the calling, he becomes the typical Sunday evangelical. He passed the first tests of killing the lion and bear with his bare hands, but failed the moment he settled down.

Are you comfortable? The prophet Jeremiah told Israel in a time where there were already many problems that an enemy was also being risen up to destroy them. They had to reflect on why God would allow this. And you know what? It was because these people had rejected God’s call, grown comfortable with issues around them, and didn’t know how to fight anymore. Even David, who inspired the people to fight, forgot how to do it himself. More giants arose and one nearly killed him when he was older; David was only spared because his nephew Abishai rushed in to rescue him. The one who had been around and had known how to do it was about to die at that very moment. It wasn’t because he was old, even though that's what his own people thought; Caleb was able to fight in the conquest of Canaan when he was in his 80-somethings, right? He asked the Lord and Joshua to let him go and fight for a mountain ruled by giants! In his old age nothing would stop him from wiping them out. “God said that was mine. I'm going. And the Lord will give it into my hands.” At 80 years old, he went and did what he had to do. It wasn’t David’s age, it was his comfort and that he was “busy” with everything else, so God let that giant come and nearly kill him.

Many times, the Lord gives you an option, he says “Examine your walk and go back to what you were doing before.” Those people who didn't know how to fight anymore? They said “No man, those old paths are just being hyper religious” But the truth is that the only insurance they had at that time was the presence of God and yet they didn't want to go back to that. They wanted to simply have the rituals and get it done with. They were guilty of having left their first love. When that happens and you spend a long time not asking for advice or stopping to examine where you are going, you just create more time and effort for yourself in order to get back on track. You feel the weight, exhaustion, affliction and can no longer enjoy things. You get distressed and yet at the same time you just continue to follow the same church routine. Nothing is sacred or extraordinary; and that's not because it’s true, it’s because of how your mind warps to see things. “There is nothing sacred in my life!” It's not because there's nothing sacred in the church, it's because there's nothing sacred in your life.

Do we see the presence of God as something sacred? Despite the good David had done he didn't finish too well, passing away as a tired man. But the promise of God, at the end of Jeremiah said that “he who stops, he who reflects and he who walks that way, he will find rest.” You can still find rest! If there is something that our society does not have, it is rest. Life is busy, but God still gives us a promise of a path that leads to peace and security.

"Life is busy, but God still gives us a promise of a path that leads to peace and security”

I want to finish in Matthew 11:28. There are many who seek rest in material things, but we saw with David that attaining those things just brought more problems to his life; even the worst time in his life for abandoning biblical principles (the death of his son). It says in Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest…” Who is weary? Who is burdened? Our society is indifferent. Today people are more worried about the current phone or shoes instead of valuable relationships or conversations, and many of us have been no different. Because of this we have been afflicted! We ourselves have hardened our hearts. We can’t, even after losing so many battles, failing so much, and falling down so many times, turn to God and admit that we are overwhelmed! We say to God that we are burdened because of the economy but ignore the sin in our house. Sin has made us indifferent in life! It afflicts us the same way it did David!

“Lord, where are You? Where is Your presence? I’ve been here for days without being able to connect with you, Lord! Where are You? I long for you in Your sanctuary, Lord I long for Your presence! My soul desires You Lord! Where are You?” That's what the heart of someone who knows what is really important sounds like! The Lord Jesus says in Matthew 11:29-30 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Do you know why He talks about yoke? Because there is another yoke, which is the yoke of sin that is heavier and enslaves you. The Lord is telling you to swap it out for His yoke so that you would find peace. Some of us have deviated from that ancient path - we have not been speaking the truth, practicing the truth, and having faith and obedience. Today He calls us to stop, examine, and return to that path of truth, because even the smallest detour will deviate us from our route.