Sermons
January 17th, 2010 by Pastor Solley011710AM Moving Forward.
Sub. The people of God.
Theme: The people of God moving forward.
Text: Deut 2:1-7
“Moving Forward” Deut 2:1-7
IntroductionI am going to bring a message this morning titled “Moving Forward”. There are many trials and dangers in the Christian life, many pitfalls along our way in this world. But there are two that most all of us will fall to at one time or another. One is that a Christian may often rush impatiently before the Lord, not waiting on the leading of the Lord as we are commanded to do. The other, and this one much more common I believe, is that we find a place of ease and contentment and do not want to move from that place. In the Bible we are commanded to both wait on the Lord and to move forward in the Lord. It is to be the Holy Spirit of God that is to be the controlling agent in those areas of our Christian life. I want to look this morning at moving forward in the Lord and use the nation of Israel as seen in Deuteronomy as an example for us today.
I. In Deut 2 we find Israel at the door of the Promised Land: Deut 2:1-7 This was not the first time they were there. A little over 40 years before Deut 2 God had delivered Israel from bondage in Egypt. The last of the 10 plagues upon the Egyptians was the death of the first born and on that first Passover night God brought the nation of Israel out of Egypt.
A. God then began to lead them to the Promised Land: And it was a winding path.
1. It took them South to the Red Sea: There God destroyed the armies of Egypt and gave His people a great victory.
2. It took them to the place of bitter waters: And God made them sweet.
3. It took them to the little or no food: And God poured out manna from heaven.
4. It took them to the battle with Amalek: And God gave another victory.
5. It took them to Mount Sini: Where God gave His Law and the pattern for the tabernacle.
6. God leading His children away from Egypt and to the Promised Land: But instead of following the leading of the Lord and entering into the land they said no and would not enter in. This takes place in Numbers 13 and 14.
B. Now 40 years have passed, they stand again at the doorway to the Promised Land: And they are faced with the very same decision they were called to make 40 years earlier. Do we go forward, stand still or go back? It is the same decision that they faced 40 years before. Nothing had changed in 40 years. God wanted them to go forward then and God wants the same thing in Deut 2. Would they obey and move forward in the Lord this time? Or would they again turn and go back?
II. Let me say that in the overall sense God always wants His children to move forward: God always wants His children to be found moving forward. Seldom standing still and never turning back. God in the overall sense wants His children to be found moving forward in the Lord. I say in the over all sense for a reason.
A. We are never to run before the leading of the Lord and there are times when we are to wait upon the Lord: For example.
1. God wanted Israel to cross the Red Sea: But they were to wait the night until the armies of Egypt caught up to them.
2. God wanted Joshua to lead Israel across the Jordan river: But they were to wait and follow the Ark of the Lord.
B. But God does always want His children to be moving forward: And that includes you and me today.
PROP: let us consider the example of Israel moving forward in the Lord. TS. In the hopes it will encourage us to do the same.
Body
I. Israel in Deut 2 was at a place where they were satisfied: Deut 2:1 The thought here is not that they were circling this mountain but that they were just there. The book of Deuteronomy chronicles the movements of the nation of Israel during those 40 years of wondering. But they did not move that many times, only about 30 over those 40 years. The idea is that Israel had after 40 years reached a place where they were satisfied.
A. And Israel was not in a bad place: Deut 2:1 They were not in a bad place. In fact they were satisfied.
1. God had delivered them from bondage and in Egypt and then continued to protect them those 40 years: As was said last week Egypt stands as a type of sin and bondage in Scripture. God had delivered them by blood from Egyptian bondage.
a. And then God continued to protect them over those 40 years.
b. Israel was at peace for those 40 years from any and all enemies.
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2. God was providing for them in very special ways: For 40 years in the desert God have them water, food, kept their clothes and shoes from wearing out. God was providing for them in very special ways.
3. God had given them a special way to know of His Divine presence day and night: There was the cloud by day and the pillar of fire at night and those two things insured the people of the never ending presence of God.
4. God had given them a special place to worship and fellowship with Him: The tabernacle was designed to restore fellowship with God and to give Israel a special place to worship in the very presence of God.
5. Israel was satisfied where they were at and why wouldn’t they be: They gave little thought to moving forward.
B. Just like we can become satisfied in our Christian life: And why shouldn’t we be? I can recite chapter and verse of all that God did for Israel and it but scratches the surface of what Jesus Christ had done for you and me. Why wouldn’t we be satisfied?
1. To be bought out of the bondage of sin, death and hell by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ: That is greater than being bought out of Egypt. If you are saved today you have been pulled out of hell and set in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
2. Then to be preserved and protected by God: The greatest possession that I have is my salvation in Jesus Christ and according to the Bible there is no power in heaven or earth that can take that away from me. Preserved and protected by God.
3. How can we begin to name the provisions of God in our lives today: I have more than shoes, clothes, food and water.
4. We have the continued presence of God promised to us and fulfilled in the Spirit of God abiding within:
5. And we have a special place of worship, even us in this local church:
6. Just like Israel we can become satisfied where we are at: And we have good reason to be.
C. But that type of thinking and satisfaction is without spiritual discernment: It may be natural to become satisfied but it is not spiritual. You cannot find a command in the Bible to Israel or to the Christian where God tells us to be satisfied. To quit moving forward, to quit growing, to quit serving. You will find no such command in the Bible.
1. Even after they entered the Promised Land they were to continue to move forward: They were to conquer and subdue.
2. After we are saved we are to move forward: Heb 12:1-2 We enter into a race we are to finish. – Acts 20:24
3. That involves moving forward and growing in the Lord: That involves making greater commitments to Jesus Christ.
4. No where are we commanded to completely stop and quit moving forward: We are not to be satisfied.
D. Yet that was a problem for Israel then and for many Christians today: We have an evangelists who has held meetings here several times and each time he has raised a question asking the people of God if they are tired of things never changing. I have heard him preach in other places and heard the same question asked in those meetings as well.
1. Because we are not to remain the same: We are to be growing, we are not to be satisfied.
2. We are to be moving forward:
II. So God had to get the attention of Israel: Deut 2:1-4 It was time to get moving and God did have to get their attention.
A. Over 40 years God had sought their attention in several ways: Not all of them pleasant. In fact when things were going good for them is when they ignored the voice of God the most. So God had to get their attention.
1. For one thing they were left in that wilderness for those 40 years: Num 14:33-34 And an entire generation died in that wilderness because they would not move forward. – Num 14:29-30 That got the attention of the younger ones.
2. God got their attention when they rebelled against Moses: Num 16:31-34 That got their attention.
3. God got their attention when they complained about God’s provision: Num 21:5-7 That got their attention.
4. Many times God had to get the attention of Israel:
B. Just like many times God has to get our attention today: Just like Israel it is seldom through good things. In fact the more blessings we receive the more we take them for granted it seems. Almost to the point that we begin to act as if God owes us something. And so God often times has to get our attention.
1. At times it is through sickness as God did with Hezekiah: 2 Kings 20:1-7 God got his attention.
2. At times it is through the sickness of others: Mark 5:22-23, 35-42 God got his attention.
3. At times it is through preaching: 2 Sam 12:7-13 God got his attention.
4. At times it is through troubled seas of life: Mark 4:36-41 God got their attention.
5. It is a fact that God often times has to get our attention:
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C. The key is to pay attention when He does: that may seem like a very simple statement to make but it seems at times the louder God speaks the more we stop our ears and refuse to listen.
1. I am reading the book of Amos right now and this is what you find: Amos 1:3,6,9,11,13 God kept dealing with these people, one time, twice, three times, four and they continued to ignore the Lord. They would not listen.
2. Far too often we are asleep before the Lord: Eph 5:14 This is speaking to the Christian and it is not isolated.
Rom 13:11-12; 1 Cor 15:34; 1 Thess 5:6-8
D. We need to pay attention when God begins to move in our lives to get our attention:
III. Because there is something better ahead if we are willing to move forward in the Lord: Deut 2:5-7 What was in front of them was the Promised Land and it would be better than the wilderness.
A. To get there is going to demand certain things on their part: God wants them there and it is going to be better for them but it is going to demand certain things on their part.
1. They are going to have to pass through the world without being a part of it: Deut 2:4-5 They were never to settle in that wilderness but to be different than the people who dwelled there.
2. This is going to cause them to be seen as different and strange: Duet 2:4 But they were not to be like them.
3. They would have to start to work for their food: Josh 5:12 God would still provide but now they would plant and work.
4. And they would have to drive out the enemies in the land: Josh 3:9-10
5. They would have to step out in faith: Josh 3:14-17
6. To get to the Promised Land would demand certain things on their part:
B. Just like it will demand certain things on your part and mine to move forward in the Lord: There is a reason we often feel satisfied. That because it is easy to stand still and even easier to turn back. But it demands something to move forward.
1. It demands a complete trust on our part to move forward with Jesus: Matt 14:23-29 Can you imagine how much trust it demanded on Peter to step out of the safety of that ship and go to Jesus?
a. There were 11 others who were satisfied right where they were.
b. But Peter had the trust to step into the stormy sea with Jesus.
2. It demands a complete separation on our part: Acts 13:2 The reason God was able to use Paul more than any other man in the New Testament is that Paul was separated unto God more than any other man in the New Testament.
3. It demands a complete sacrifice on our part: Rom 12:1-2 How much do we really give to Jesus? How much of self do we really give to the Lord Jesus Christ?
4. It demands a complete love on our part: Matt 22:37
5. It demands a complete commitment on our part: 1 Tim 4:15
a. A real commitment to His Word.
b. A real commitment to prayer.
c. A real commitment to the house of God.
C. To move forward will demand something on our part:
IV. But that promised Land is ever so near: Deut 2:3,7 It is ever so near if we just move.
A. Ever wonder how far away Israel was from the Promised Land? It took them 40 years to get there. How far was it?
1. They were only 11 days away: Deut 1:1-2 It took them 40 years to go an 11 day march and this was from the capital city of Egypt to the middle of the Promised Land.
2. They were so close that at most times during those 40 years they could see the Promised Land: Num 27:12
3. They were right beside the Promised Land for 40 years: It was not far away.
4. But because they would not move forward with the Lord they could not enter in:
5. It was not far off when they finally decided to move: Deut 2:1-3
B. The deeper life with Christ, the closer walk with the Lord is not far off Christian: We often think that it will take a great leap on our part but that is not the case. The deeper life with Christ, the closer walk with the Lord is not far off.
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1. We have already taken the biggest step: If we have trusted to Jesus the care of our soul. Where one will spend eternity is more important than anything.
a. Have you entrusted to Jesus the state of your soul for all eternity?
b. That is more important than you life in this world.
c. If you are saved this morning you have already taken a great step of faith.
2. Is it so hard then to turn the rest of your life over to Him? I have already given Him the care of my eternal soul.
3. Why not then turn over to Him the care of my life here?
4. Why not surrender my life to serve Him?
5. Why not trust in His care?
6. Why not give all to Jesus?
C. The Promised Land is not that far away:
Conclusion
We have seen now this morning the call for Israel to move forward in the Lord. Do we see the same call is given to you and me as we live in this world?
I. Israel in Deut 2 was at a place where they were satisfied: Deut 2:1 The thought here is not that they were circling this mountain but that they were just there. The book of Deuteronomy chronicles the movements of the nation of Israel during those 40 years of wondering. But they did not move that many times, only about 30 over those 40 years. The idea is that Israel had after 40 years reached a place where they were satisfied.
II. So God had to get the attention of Israel: Deut 2:1-4 It was time to get moving and God did have to get their attention.
III. Because there is something better ahead if we are willing to move forward in the Lord: Deut 2:5-7 What was in front of them was the Promised Land and it would be better than the wilderness.
IV. But that promised Land is ever so near: Deut 2:3,7 It is ever so near if we just move.