(SLIDE 1) How to get your spiritual “pack weight” down

 

I.                    The Situation

a.      Each year thousands of future, current, and previous thru-hikers come to Damascus for Trail Days.  Prior to getting to the trail, most hikers have spent considerable time in preparation for their hike.  They’ve read books on thru-hiking, they’ve considered what gear they want to carry, they’ve probably practiced hiking, and they’ve dreamt about the trail.  The day that the hikers start the trail is better than a wedding day for some hikers. 

b.      After a few days on the trail, the romance of the trail fades and the trials of the trail set in.  There is a physical, mental, emotional, and even a spiritual quest on the trail. The physical challenge is obvious. Blisters and muscle soreness often weed out hikers in the first 30.7 miles at Neels Gap, GA. Arguably, after this point, the mental and emotional challenges start. As one continues North on the trail, the mental challenge can change into a spiritual challenge for some. Although it is not always obvious from the start, this spiritual challenge becomes one of the primary quests for some.

c.       For example, in his book, Ten Million Steps, M.J. Eberhart echoes this sentiment. He states that, on the trail, there are three aspects to the journey. He calls these the “Three Wise Men.” These include the Physical Journey, the Mental or Emotional Journey, and the Spiritual Journey. Eberhart, known as “Nimblewill Nomad” on the trail, states that the Physical Journey is the easy part.  It does not take long to get in shape on the AT. Instead, the Mental and Spiritual Journeys are difficult. Eberhart states:

                                                              i.      (SLIDES 2-6 ) On the trail, mile after day after month, where these diversions do not exist, eventually all the masks, all the facades, all the little games we play get stripped away and we come face to face with ourselves…. I lugged a pack of incredible burdens. There were the burdens of anger, bitterness, contempt, despair, envy, fear, greed, hatred, jealousy, resentment and vain pride. There’s a word for most every letter in the alphabet to describe some form of burden. And I carried them all! But as I journeyed north with the second of the Three Wise Men a change began to occur, a very subtle change, but a change nonetheless. For as I struggled along on my Mental Journey, lugging this incredible load, it became painfully evident to me that I had missed the mark on living, truly living, in my near sixty years on this earth—not a very comforting revelation! And as I began to unravel all of this it was then I met the last of the Three Wise Men and it was then that I set forth on my Spiritual Journey.  

d.      There is no denying that much of the trail is a spiritual journey.  As Nimblewill Nomad so eloquently puts it, (SLIDE 7) the physical backpack is not our burden on the trail or even on the trail of life; it’s our spiritual backpack that is the toughest thing to tow.  We even talk about the baggage we have in our lives.

 

 

 

II.                 (SLIDE 8) The Problem—We have too much weight in our spiritual pack!

 

a.      (Backpack SLIDE 9) Let’s look at some of the baggage that we carry.  Here are three backpacks:

                                                               i.      Big Backpack—60 lbs

1.      Pull out stuff from pack

a.       Phone—overemphasis on social life (talk to others v. talk to God)

b.      Make-up—overemphasis on personal care (look at mirror v. look at Bible)

c.       Extension cord—overemphasis on home (keep up w/Jones or keep up with Jesus)

d.      Laptop—overemphasis on work (what prize are you wanting)

e.       Picture of loved ones–overemphasis on family (family over God)

f.        Overemphasis on ____________….

g.       Problem with this backpack is that there is just too much stuff.  The hiker cannot hike in life as effectively because of stuff in his or her life

h.       What is burdening you?

                                                                                                                                      i.      From cubical to car to couch

                                                                                                                                     ii.      These extra items, meant to bring security, hinder one’s walk or search.

i.         The heavy backpack may be a source of pride.  “Look at how much stuff I have”

                                                             ii.      Lightweight backpack I—Great outside but look inside

1.      Pull out stuff from pack

a.       Little Debbies—overemphasis on food (food addiction)

b.      Pill bottle—drugs and alcohol addiction or binges

c.       First Aid kit—injuries from others or self

                                                                                                                                       i.      Harm that others have caused you in the past

                                                                                                                                     ii.      Harm you have caused others

                                                                                                                                    iii.      Self-imposed harm

d.      Broken compass and wrong map—tried religion or self-help books but led to the wrong path.

e.       The lightweight backpack may be a source of pride.  “Look how little I’m carrying.”

f.        The pack looks great on the outside but on the inside it has stuff that can’t help you in your walk with Christ or in your search for God.

 

 

 

 

 

                                                            iii.      Lightweight pack II—Great outside and inside

1.      Lynn Wheldon produced a series of videotapes about the A.T…  One of the videotapes he has produced is entitled “Lightweight Backpacking Secrets”.  In this video he proclaims “the goal of the lightweight backpacker is to have nearly zero pounds on their back”.

2.      This concept is not new.  When sending out the 12 disciples and the 70 disciples, Jesus advised in (SLIDE 10) Matthew 10:9-10:

3.      9 “Do not take any gold or silver or copper in your belts; 10 take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff.”

4.      Christ was an ultralight backpacker. 

5.      The apostle Paul did not want anything hindering him either.  In (SLIDE 11) Hebrews 12.1 he says:

a.       “Therefore, since we are surrounded with such a great cloud of witnesses, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress.  And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us”. 

6.      If the backpack is an analogy for what burdens are in your life, Christ wants to take those burdens and repack your pack.

 

b.      The problem is that we have either too much stuff in our life or incorrect stuff in our life that hinders us from knowing God and reaching our full potential.  The Bible speaks about burdens too: 

                                                               i.      (SLIDE 12) Psalm 38.4

1.      “My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear”

c.      (RUN MOVIE, CHAPTER 10) The movie, “The Mission” typifies our struggle on the inside.  In the following 3.5 minute clip, you will see this man struggle.

                                                               i.      (SLIDE 13) (1) Notice that, in the clip, armor met his felt need for security. The armor that was in the burdensome netting was a source of comfort for him.  (2) He could not walk of the hill “of life” very well with this burden.  (3) Notice that the man with the machete cut the burden off of the man but the man went back to his burden.  (4) Everyone around this man waited eagerly in the heat while this man tormented himself to get up the hill of life.  His burden was holding others back. In the end, although he was very close, he just could not get to the top of the hill.

 

III.               (SLIDE 14) The Solution—Just like dumping unneeded stuff out of your physical pack, Christ can repack your spiritual backpack for a better lifelong hike thru life. 

a.      At Neels Gap, GA at the Mountain Crossings Center (mile 30.7) Winton Porter is famous for taking the overweight packs of neophyte hikers and reducing their pack weight by 10 lbs or more.  Time after time, hikers tell us how thankful they are that Winton helped to lighten their load.

b.      Similarly, Jesus wants to make you spiritually enlightened as well.  He wants to take your burdens out of your spiritual pack and repack your pack with what you need to walk through life more comfortably.  The Bible states:

                                                               i.      (SLIDE 15) Psalm 81.6

1.      I removed their burden from their shoulders

                                                             ii.      (SLIDE 16) Isaiah 10:27

1.      In that day their burden will be lifted from your shoulders.

                                                            iii.      (SLIDE 17) Matthew 11:29-30

1.      Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest in your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

c.      We are not talking about you cleaning yourself up or sorting out your life’s problems.  Instead, Christ will clean up your problems and repack your pack.     Instead of merely telling you what to do (i.e. give you a list of do’s and don’ts), God promises that he will change your heart and give you a new life.

                                                               i.      Christianity is not a set of rules to follow

1.      (SLIDE 18) Luke 11:46

a.       Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.

                                                             ii.      When you become a Christian, the law is written on you heart

1.      (SLIDE 19) Jeremiah 31.33

a.       I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.  I will be their God and they will be my people.

                                                            iii.      Christianity is not about rules.  Instead, it is about relationship.  When God says, “no”, it is to provide for an abundant life for you and to protect you from harm.

d.      What are you going to do with you spiritual burdens?

                                                               i.      Recall what Nomad said:

1.      On the trail, all the masks, all the facades, all the little games we play get stripped away and we come face to face with ourselves…. I lugged a pack of incredible burdens. For as I struggled along on my Mental Journey, lugging this incredible load, it became painfully evident to me that I had missed the mark on living, truly living, it was then that I set forth on my Spiritual Journey

                                                             ii.      Like the packs before us on the stage, there are two types of people here that I want to talk to:

1.      (SLIDE 20) Christian that is burdened with sin or other problems:

a.       Christ is in your life

b.      But you are on the throne of your life.

c.       Christ is at the foot of the throne of your life.

d.      You need Christ on the throne of your life to empower and direct you.

e.       LIKE THE FELLOW IN “THE MISSION”, ARE YOU HOLDING OTHERS BACK IN THE CHURCH WITH YOUR BURDEN

f.        In a moment we will have prayer for you. 

2.      (SLIDE 21) No relationship with Christ:

a.       Christ is not in your life

b.      You are on the throne of your life.

c.       (SLIDE 22) You need Christ on the throne of your life.

d.      It is very easy to know the Lord

                                                                                                                                       i.      Thumb—God loves you and has a wonderful plan for you life (John 3.16; 10.10)

                                                                                                                                     ii.      Pointer—All of us have sinned and missed God’s perfect mark (Romans 3.23; 6.23)

                                                                                                                                    iii.      Middle—Jesus rose from the dead and has the power to pay for our sins (Romans 5.8; 1 Cor 15.36; John 14.6).  Jesus also claims to be the only way to God.

                                                                                                                                   iv.      Ring—We must commit to God by faith (John 1.12; Ephesians 2.8-9; John 3.1-8; Rev 3.20)

                                                                                                                                     v.      Pinky—We come to God humbly, as a king, with our burdens.

3.      Prayer:  Lord Jesus, thank you for loving me.  I have missed your mark of perfection.  Please rearrange the spiritual backpack of my life.  Thank you that, through your resurrection from death, you demonstrated that you are powerful enough to pay for my misdoings.  At this time, I ask that you will pay for my sins and sit on the throne of my life to guide and direct me.

4.      If you prayed this prayer, we would like to talk to you.  We want to see you grow in your faith.  After our prayer time, in just a few moments, we will have counselors, including myself that you can talk to. It is not worth carrying a burden around. 

5.      You may be thinking, “I’m not so sure about this.  I have some more questions.”  Well, we have some books up front that are free for you to take, read, and investigate.  We also have a number of counselors that would like to talk to you too.  Don’t carry your burden around.

6.      Let’s now enter into our prayer time.