One of my favorite passages is found in Romans chapter 10 as Paul admonishes the church in Rome with a reminder from the book of Joel, “And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered…” Paul wrote in verses 14 & 15… “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will 
they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!’ ” Did you notice the progression; to be delivered (saved), one must believe. In order to believe, you must hear. To hear, you need someone to preach and the ‘preacher’ must be ‘sent.’
For this Sunday’s sermon we know in order to find and follow God, you have to hear the message of salvation. But once you hear it…you have the choice to follow His lead or not? Our songs this coming Sunday will call us to follow. It’s as easy as selecting A or B…once you find God, will you follow Him?
“…I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.” I Corinthians 14:15
Sunday morning, August 2, 2017
The following songs are found in the hymnal, Songs of Faith & Praise.
“He Leadeth Me” {to the tune of “Our God, He is Alive”} – N/B
Letting go is difficult. We often want to hold on to what we see and can feel and that gives us a sense of control. 
You’ve heard, “Let go and Let God,” but is much easier said than done. And as this song says, He leads us. He will lead us, and we must follow. The Lord is always there, standing at the ready, to guide our thoughts, our steps, our decisions and ultimately our actions…if only we let Him.
“Savior, Lead Me” – 409
When we ask God to lead us, is our intention is to be led down a desired path. But is that path His will, or our desires? Asking for His guidance should truly be a humbling experience that requires a genuine and contrite heart. He’ll lead us where He wants us to go, gently and safely at His side and when the storms come, we’ll feel safe and secure knowing that we are being steadied by the guiding love of our Savior.
“Follow Me” – 395
This world presents many ‘lonely roads.’ We complain and get frustrated at times, but in this song, we’re reminded that Christ, with all His suffering simply calls us to, “go and make disciples…” We’ll sing, in essence, the message He gave to Peter and Andrew (Matt. 4:18-19), “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Following Him down that ‘lonely road’ can be a daunting request. But He wouldn’t ask of us something He didn’t already do. (Thanks, Trey Morgan, for that illustration Wednesday evening.)
“Lead Me to Calvary” – 332
With so many things in our lives demanding our attention, we absentmindedly make the world a priority. It’s a sad thing to think that we so often allow the world to get in the way of focusing on Jesus Christ. Keep Him at the forefront of every thought…every minute of every hour of every day. The devil wants and tries to be ‘king of your life,’ don’t ‘accidentally’ let that happen.
“Jesus, Let Us Come to Know You” – 768
The simple idea of being able to make a petition to God, is altogether astounding and humbling. The thought of being able to see God face to face, the fact that He allows us an avenue of communication to Him, is something we take for granted. And the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Chris, should bring us to our knees. Consider this petition as we sing, “Jesus, let us come to know You, let us see You face to face…” A request that we all long for is perfectly stated in the end of this spiritual song, “Only let us, live in you.”
“Who Will Follow Jesus?” – N/B
A simple and yet to the point question, “who will follow Jesus?” Christ asks for our dedication to follow Him and to serve Him unfailingly. So what’s your answer…A or B? It takes more than just saying, “Yes, I will!” It takes follow through. With a decision to follow either path, we must realize that there WILL be eternal consequences, regardless which path we choose. So will you say, “I am on the Lord’s side.” and be ready to follow Isaiah’s lead as he said, “Here am I, send me.” (Isaiah 6:8)
“Where He Leads Me I Will Follow” – 876
Blindly leading someone is dangerous, so why would you follow someone to a place unknown? In following Christ, you’re not blindly wandering. You know where you are going, it’s just a matter of following where He leads. He has set out the path to follow, and though it may lead you to some unfamiliar and uncomfortable places, the comforting thing is knowing you are not walking it alone.
“Where He Leads I’ll Follow” – 417
“Sweet are the promises, kind is the word…Pure was the mind of Christ, He is the great example…” He is who we are called to follow. I will follow where He leads, because He will not falter, He will not lead me astray, and He will fulfill all of His promises. “Where He leads…I will follow.” Will you?