Life After Redemption (Part 1-God's Guidance)

Exodus 13:17-22

L/W-We introduced and laid a foundation for an 8-week series (if you will) on, “Life After Redemption.” We learned of

Israel’s “wilderness wanderings,” which God intended to use to bring Israel to an utter and holistic depenency on Him,

How Israel’s sojourn in the wilderness was/is a comparison/reflection of our own journey of sanctification and how just as Israel had a destination, so do believers today.

How, in Israel’s journey b/t Egypt and Canaan, they were to be strenghthened, matured, equipped, and set apart from the world around them on there journey, just as we are to be in our pilgrammage of faith towards an eternity in God’s presence.

T/W-Today begins an 8-week series at Israel’s journey to Mt. Sinai. Over the course of these 8 weeks, we will learn of the myriad of trials & difficulties Israel would face and the enemies they would encounter, how God desired to lead them through these, and how Israel needed to learn to trust in God’s direction and leading in each of these, as they sojourn to Sinai.

Exodus 13:17-22 (RANDY TO READ)

Looking back at Israel’s deliverance from bondage, the newness of life, & the first few precious days, weeks, and months that followed—we should as believers, see a picture of ourselves:

Once accustomed to bondage, they stood (as believers do) in this empty space of freedom/liberty

Once accustomed to a spirit of slavery & oppression (as believers were), they now stood to follow a different spirit

Once accustomed to be trained up by the world, they now (as believers today), stood ready to be trained up by God

Looking back at all of this concerning Israel—we should also recognize as believers, that what they were going to have to endure and encounter, is a reality of we are sure to endure and encounter

Again, looking back at the account of Israel’s pilgrammage, we should as believers, recognize that just as Israel needed to learn to trust God’s leading and learn to walk with His Spirit so must we also

During these 8 weeks, my hope and prayer, is that each of us will see the reflection of our own pilgrammage, how, (1) as we as believers sojourn, will themselves, face a myriad of trials/temptations and encounter the enemy’s efforts to distract/distort/deceive us and (2), that God still desires to lead His people today and recognize that:

We must entrust our pilgrammage to God’s way

Regardless of how strange or odd it may seem;

No matter if "we" think there's a better way, shorter way or more comfortable way. Why? Because He sees what we cannot see, He sees what lies ahead, what we are prepared for or not prepared for—and we must trust that He knows best

We must trust in His way is knowing that no matter where He leads, His presence is with us and His presence is everything in our lives

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I. (v.17-18) God desires to lead His people

Exodus 13:17-18 “Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt.”

(CONTEXT)—God was to be Israel’s Scout, Guide, and Leader

First, God knew two vital things:

The shortest route (as we talked about last week) would have taken just seveal weeks; however, to go up the coast of the Mediterranean Sea was to go the way of the Philistines, the aggressive & bitter enemies of Israel

The Philistines would have felt threatened by 2 or 3 million Israelites marching through their land, which would provoke them to attack, which leads us to the 2nd important fact:

(Trusting in God’s leading is to recognize that His way always has a plan/purpose

Israel, up to & at the point of their deliverance

Lacked

Strength (despite their numbers), to face & fight the enemies of the wilderness

They possessed few if any weapons to fight with; brought up as slaves, not warriors

(Believers, new or mature, need to learn what it is to equip themselves and walk in the armor of God every day—Ephesians 6:10-17). (Our greatest resources for gaining strength and preperation as believers and for conforming us more into Christ’s image, are also our greatest weapons against trials/temptations and the lies of the enemy—God’s Word and prayer!

Preperation needed to sojourn through the wilderness

They had no military training whatsoever

(Believer, new or mature, must be themselves for a

Possessed spirits accustomed to

Slavery

Bondage & brokeness

Oppression

Needed:

To be forever freed of fearing the Egyptians again;

What God knew but Israel didn’t see—was God was about to destroy the Egyptian army in the Red Sea

To be hardended and toughened by living in the wilderness for several decades before facing the enemies who would stand against them and their entering of the promised land

To learn to trust God, by traveling through the wilderness, before they could inherit the promised land; To trust God as their

Savior

Guide

Source (daily bread)

Provider & protector

Hope

To be humbled and proven—and as we discussed last week—to see exactly what was in their hearts, whether or not they would keep God’s Word

To see the soil of the heart

Was it calloused by the years of enslavement

(Mark 4:15 “And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.”)

Was is rocky, drying up and withering at the first hint of hardship

(Mark 4:16-17 “These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble.” )

Was their soil full of weeds, allowing allurements and enticements of the world to mingle and become intertwined with their faith

(Mark 4:18-19 “Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”), or

Was the soil of their hearts soft—trusting, dependent, and reliant on God

(Mark 4:20 “But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.””)

To learn to worship and serve God

Exodus 3:12 “So He said, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.””

To be given the laws of God, to be molded into a strong nation of people, before entering Canaan

Exodus 20 and following (10 Commandment and beyond)

Secondly, God led his people towards the Red Sea (or Sea of Reeds (yam-suph). While many commentators disagree about the exact crossing point, what’s to be sure, is

The Red Sea, in that day, would not include ANY extension of the sea; meaning man’s hand had to alter/touch it (Gulf of Suez today)

The Red sea as the most heralded bodies of water in the history of the Israelites, as God used the Red Sea

As the gateway of Israel’s freedom, it was their doorway of escape (Exodus 13:18)

As the instrument against Pharaoh’s army--as they drowned in the sea in trying to capture Israel again and enslave them

As the marker that would define the limits of the promised land (see Exodus 23:31)

As the constant reminder, to Israel’s future generations of God’s deliverance

Thirdly, God led Israel in an orderly fashion (v.18)—Israel would have been aware that Egypt could change their minds and pursue them again—at any moment

In God commanding them to sojounr in an orderly fashion taught them,

If they marched like a mob—there would be sense of strength

If they marched like a mob—there would be no sense they could protect themselves, despite their numbers

In God commanding them to sojourn in an orderly fashion gave them

Encouragment and courage

Boldness and reassurance

There is strength in numbers, especially when those “numbers” are like-minded with the same goal & aim

Israel needed to grow up, they needed to realize they were unprepared & untrained to

Israel needed strenghtening, courage, maturity, and they needed to learn to walk, trusting and obedient, to God’s presence in their midst

(BIBLICAL APPLICATION—You and Me)

We must entrust our journey to God,

He know us

He knows our weaknesses and flaws

He knows our struggles and our tendencies

He knows the areas that need growth and pruning

He knows the spiritual fruits in need of attention (A NOTE ABOUT THIS)

Spiritual fruit in our lives is most often found in what’s uncomfortable—in the testing and trials

Acts 9—Ananias and Paul

Both Ananias and Paul were sure to have developed spiritual fruits in Acts 9.

He knows the myriad of trials & circumstances we are sure to face, the hardships we will encounter

Secondly, God also knows your worth/value/identity

He knows the worth you have in being created in His likeness and image

He knows the value you can and do possess in being His children

The identity you can and do possess in being hidden in Christ

Because of all of this, He knows

He knows what is best for you

He knows which way is best for you

He knows what we can and cannot bear, yet at the same time

He knows when we are able to handle something

Explain Abraham in Genesis 22

ln all of this, what we must know, is

God’s will for us ALWAYS purspose (and it’s two-fold)

Salvation (2 Peter 3:9)

Sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3 & Romans 8:29)

All of believer’s life is wrapped up in these 2 parts of His will

God’s direction will ALWAYS lead us to this purpose, which means He is always leading us

To the right people

To the right places

To do the next right thing

To know what to do

We must entrust our journey to God, b/c He knows we need strength and preparation

He knows

Our flawed and fallible wisdom

Left to ourselves we have no strength

Left unprepared we will be overcome and overwhelmed by the trials/temptations of life

He also knows we find our strength and preparation through two things (His Word and in prayer)

His Word--God’s Word can accomplish so much in a person’s life:

Salvation:

2 Timothy 3:15 “and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

Sanctification

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

2 Peter 1:5-8 “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Daily sustenance, a sustenance we must desire, seek, and trust in

Psalm 1:2 “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.”

Psalm 5:3 “My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up.”

Psalm 63:1 “O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.”

Luke 11:3 “Give us day by day our daily bread.”

In spiritual battles

Ephesians 6:10-17 (the whole armor of God)

In guidance and leading

Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”

In convicting us of our sins

John 16:8 “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:”

In chastening our lives as believers

(Hebrews 12:5-11)

Through prayer

James 1:6-8 “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

The prayer of a surrendered heart—a heart abandoned only to cry out and seek out the Lord’s help, is the weapon for which the devil has no answer—b/c in your seeking out the strength & deliverance from God—it is a strength that crushed him at the foot of the cross—this is where we fight from. We take our stuff, the lies, deceit, and we direct it all to the cross!

There’s a myriad of reasons people get tripped up & deceived when it comes to God’s Word—this morning I want to put one of these deception to death: the deception and untruth that says b/c it was written so long ago, was written for only those named in the Bible, or think it wasn’t written for them—it is therefore dead and inactive:

Was the Bible written a long time ago

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Prayer

We must entrust our journy to God, b/c going our way leads to prodigal living and His way to abundant life

Going our way

ALWAYS leads to prodigal living

Luke 15:12-13 “And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.”

ALWAYS leads to the consequences of prodigal living

Luke 15:14-16 “But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.”

ALWAYS leads to the regret of prodigal living

Luke 15:17 ““But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!”

God’s way

ALWAYS involves repentance of our prodigal living

Luke 15:17-18 ““But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you,”

ALWAYS involves restoration-Note Biblical restoration—it’s always better than the original state)

Luke 15:22-23 ““But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry;”

The son in Luke 15:

His empty state, wishing he could eat of pig slop

His restored state was him given and inheritance and having his status reinstated as an heir

Naomi and Ruth in Ruth 1--

Their original state—a decade of wilderness living with no hope

Their restored state—given a name, an inheritanc through a kinsman redeemer

ALWAYS involves deliverance

Luke 15:24 “for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.”

God’s way of restoration and deliverance, today

ALWAYS involves Jesus Christ and Him crucified

The cross is the means of our deliverance from the bondage of sin

Romans 3:24-25 “being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,”

ALWAYS involves Jesus Christ and Him resurrected

The empty tomb is the means of our deliverance from death

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

I Corinthians 15:55 ““O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?””

We must entrust in God’s way, b/c His way involves a body of believers (the local church)

There is no such thing as a “lonewolf Christian.” The world is a wilderness (not our home); it is full of enticements, allurements, snares, lies, deceits, evil/wickedness

We face enemies in this life:

Satan

Fear

Condemnation

The World

Christ established His church so that individual believers would find community & fellowship, that the individual believer, through belonging to His Church (Capital C)

Might survive in the wilderness

Might find unity in the wilderness, in our pilgrammage

We might, one

Stand together

Stand unified

Stand in one spirit

Ephesians 4:1-6 “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”

Two, we would be a dynamic witness for the gospel of Jesus Christ

(Discuss then read) Acts 17:6 “But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.”

God’s way is always best, and our task is simply to seek and follow Him—this requires trust

Trust which MUST begin with entrusting your life to Jesus Christ

Trust which continues with entrusting your pilgrammage to the leading of Christ

In the what, when, and why of His leading

Even when it may seem strange,

Even we cannot fully understand

Even if “we” think there’s a better or easier way, a shorter way, or more comfortable way.

Why?

Because God sees what we cannot see—in context what Israel couldn’t see was God was preparing their deliverance in leading them His way (Red Sea)

In the same way, God has set aside His deliverance and His sanctification for those who will go His way

II. (v.19) To be led requires faith

Exodus 13:19 “And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had placed the children of Israel under solemn oath, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here with you.””

(Context)—We see this in Israel as they traveled with Joseph’s bones

Joseph believed in what we call the Abrahamic Covenant, which encompassed

The promise of the promised seed—of a great nation and of the Savior—Jesus Christ

Genesis 12:2-3 “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.””

Exodus 1:6-7 “And Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation. But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.”

The promise of the promised land—of Canaan and the eternal land of heaven

Genesis 12:1 “Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.”

Exodus 2:24 “So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.”

Someone had kept the bones of Joseph (more than 430 years—over 430 years of believing in God’s promises) and now

Israel was fullfilling the wish of Joseph—to be buried in the promised land

Israel believed the promises of God and the Abrahamic Covenant. How do we see this? Why else would they (1) hold on to Joseph’s bones and (2) take Joseph’s bones with them?

Israel traveled with

Hope & expectancy that God was going to deliver them to the promised land

Belief in the destination of the promised land

Belief in the peace & rest, security & provision they would find there

Hearts that knew God would lead them to the promised lan

(BIBLICAL APPLICATION—You and Me)-Just as the journey of Israel was to be done in faith, so must our journey be done in faith

Beginning with—faith, belief, and trust in Jesus Christ—as both Lord and Savior

Romans 10:10 “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

Romans 10:17 “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Continuing with—faith, belief, and trust that God’s work of sanctification will not cease in your life

Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;”

Romans 8:29 “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

Continuing on knowing

The destination is assured—God is set to deliver those who are born again to live eternally in His presence

The battle is already won—and every battle we fight is from a place of victory

How many of us live each day with the hope & expectancy that God will deliver us, not only

From the trial & temtations in life, but also that

He will deliver you to the promised land of heaven and His presence?

Do we make decisions with eternity in mind?

Do we love others with eternity in mind?

Do we serve God and others with eternity in mind?

Do we pilgrammage and sojourn through this life with eternity in mind?

III. (v.20-22) God leading is never absent His presence

Exodus 13:20-22 “So they took their journey from Succoth and camped in Etham at the edge of the wilderness. And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.”

(CONTEXT)-Note three things

God led Israel from Succoth to Etham, where they would camp on the very edge of the desert (v.20)

This route was a detour leading south—away from the promised land. Why? Egyptian forts were located on the edge of the Desert of Shur and would pose a threat to the young Israelite nation

This route—in Israel’s perspective left them as sitting ducks; a look at their perspective:

A hostile and onrushing enemy was pursuing them (Egyptian army)

An uncrossable Red Sea

An unknown and dangerous wilderness

This route—in Israel’s perspective left them

Seemingly without hope

Seemingly with no way

This route, however, in God’s perspective—was bringing Israel to place where they would know trusting God was the only way

For their escape & deliverance

(God will bring people to a place where they must realize that He’s the only way out)

God led His people with a pillar of cloud by day, and by night, a pillar of fire

The “pillar” was

Singular—a cloud by day and a fire by night

A divine manifestation, NOT a natural phenomenon

An assurance, an immuatable and immovable presence—it could not have been driven away by the wind

Nehemiah 9:19 “Yet in Your manifold mercies You did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of the cloud did not depart from them by day, To lead them on the road; Nor the pillar of fire by night, To show them light, And the way they should go.”

(Ephesians 1:13-14 “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” )

Was another name for, “the angel of God”

Exodus 14:19 “And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them.”

Exodus 23:20-23 ““Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him. But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. For My Angel will go before you and bring you in to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites and the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will cut them off.”

The pillars purpose

Means of protection--it provided protection from the heat of the sun when needed (Exodus 13:21-22)

Means of light--in becoming a cloud of fire at night (Exodus 13:21)

Means of communication—the Lord often spoke to the people from the cloud

Psalm 99:6-7 “Moses and Aaron were among His priests, And Samuel was among those who called upon His name; They called upon the Lord, and He answered them. He spoke to them in the cloudy pillar; They kept His testimonies and the ordinance He gave them.”

The pillar resprented God’s visible presence among His people

Israel’s pilgrammage would need to learn how to live, follow, and yield to God’s presence, so they could face the trials/temptations, the hardships & harshness of the wilderness

With confidence

Wtih boldness

With assurance

Without fear

God led Israel faithfully—neither the cloud nor the pillar of fire left it’s place (v.22) (God’s presence is ever before us, with us, and behind us.

In the context of the wilderness b/t Egypt and Canaan, the desert was

A wasteland—barren/desolate/hot

Uncharted-no signs, roads, and no guides to lead Israel

More than likely an area, none of Israel had ever crossed before

A place of loneliness—leaving Israel totally to themselves—save One Person

In the context of all of this we see God’s faithfulness in how He

He never left them (40 years of wandering)

He protected and provided for them

Manna

Sandals never wore out

He would see them through to the promised land

(BIBLICAL APPLICATION—You and Me)

As mentioned before, God’s plan ALWAYS serves His two-fold will (Salvation and Sanctification), but what about His plans?

Take a moment for a note about plan—So many people hold Jeremiah 29:11 in the wrong context

Jeremiah 29:11, in context, was given to the Israelites and it was not a cheery one; it was given to

A group of people, not indiviual—Israelites who were in exile in Baylon

A group of people who were listening to lies about how there return from exile was “just around the corner,”

A group of people who in reality, had 70 more years of exile and told were to create new lives in Babylon

A group of people who needed to be reminded that God was still in control & sovereign:

Even in their exile

Even when things are bleak—or don’t make sense

A group of people that needed to know, despite suffering and struggling, God’s plan was still good

And that’s just our application--

Jeremiah 29:11 was not/is not a

Personal message that promises an easy life, a life where there’s nothing to worry about, or promises you will get what you want, simply b/c of your faith.

Personal message that promises the type of culture of America prizes—the “American Dream”

Personal message that is written to you, rather a message that is for you

Jeremiah 29:11 IS a message

Given with the promise that we will have trouble/sufferings/trials

Given to those who are suffering and struggling that God is still in control—even when it’s bleak or seems hopeless—and while the difficulty may not end tomorrow—God will see His people through

Given to His children, those who belong to Him

Says God is at work to conform the believer more and more into the image of Jesus Christ—by sharing in His suffering

Says that your ultimate end is not as a victim, but rather a victor (Romans 8:12-39)

Jeremiah 29:11 is best understood

When it’s measured against God’s Word-God’s promises—and His covenant

To see that, “your plans may evaporate, your dreams may be crushed, your life may be snuffed out, but if the means of those things are to bring a person to Christ and sanctify them in Christ, the God who raised Jesus from the dead will raise you up with Him

Not in the short-term, b/c you may suffer, but in the long-term, b/c “in Christ,” your future is co-signed with Christ. That’s a future for your welfare, and not for evil; a future of hope, not of despair.”

To not see you wealthy, problem-free, or find your all in something in this world, rather it’s to see you find your all in Jesus Christ

God’s direction ALWAYS includes His presence; His presence is Holy Spirit..and the Holy Spirit

Is ALWAYS faithful

ALWAYS provides

ALWAYS protects

ALWAYS convicts & chastens

ALWAYS at work (Philippians 1:6)

Truth’s about God’s presence

God’s presence is single most important part in our lives b/c Hi presence gives you all the worth, value, and identity you will ever need

Solomon’s Temple/Wilderness Tabernacle—as ornate and beautiful as it was---had it’s true value when God’s presence was there

What gives you value is not

What your outside looks like

What your social media profile says/how many likes you have/or friends you follow

What you do or how much you make

What gives you true worth, value, and an identity is NOT a what—but a WHO?

It is Christ in You—God’s presence in your life (The Holy Spirit) is all the value you will ever need

You are most valued b/c you have Christ dwelling inside you

God’s presence is also assurance:

Assures us that we are born again and saved (Ephesians 1:13-14)

Assures us that we have the right to be called sons of God (1 John 1:12)

Assures us that we have access to the Father whenever for whatever (Ephesians 1:18—Wall of division—curtain torn in two (Gospel’s accounts of crucfixion)

Assures us that as we fight, battle, struggle, and stand fast against the trials/temptations/persecutions of this world—we fight from a place of victory (Deuteronomy 20:4, Philippians 1:6, 2 Corinthians 10:4, Ephesians 6:10-18)

Assures us that we are hidden in Christ (Colossians 3:1-4)

Assures us that we are forgiven, no longer condemned, at peace with God, live under the saving & sustaining power of His grace (Romans 8)

Assures us that we no longer hopeless but live with a living hope (1 Peter 1:3)

Assures us that we are no longer helpess (Isaiah 25:4, Psalm 121:1)

Assures us that strongholds are laid to waste and every thought is taken captive (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

Assures us that in belief fear is put to death (Mark 5:36)

Assures us there is no fear in death (Romans 8:38-39; Psalm 23:4, Revelation 2:10)

Assures us that God is for us, therefore nothing shall stand against us (Romans 8:31)

Assures us that God will work all things for the good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

Assures us that we are never alone, never have to walk alone, never have to endure trials alone, never have to struggle alone. (Verses on the Holy Spirit in John—Matthew 28:20 (Lo, I am with you till the end of the age...”)

Assures us gives us divine worth, divine value, and a divine identity—that we are no longer defined by the labels of this world, rather we are defined by what God Himself says about us (Genesis 1:26-27, Psalm 139:13-14, Psalm 108, etc)

Assures us we are continually washed by the blood of Jesus Christ as we walk in the confession and repentance of our sin—wwe are forgiven, no longer condemned, and under grace (1 John 1:7)

God’s presence is also constant/immutable

God doesn’t lead us through one circumstance or trial then leave us to fight the next one on our own

He is in every trial with us

He walks through every trial with us,

He fights for us through each and every trial, and

He will help us conquer, overcome, and triumph over EVERY circumstance in our lives…there is no thing or NOTHING too big for our God to conquer!!!

(CLOSING APPLICATION)

(Briefly explain—(1) Positional, (2) Progressive, and (3) Perfected Sanctification

What we will be discussing over the next 8 weeks is what is called progressive sanctification (explain)

Sanctification—this pilgrammage of faith is a lifelong journey, it’s a marathon not a sprint as they say

Sanctification carries with it the understanding that we WILL encounter trials/testings, we WILL encounter temptations/hardships We are never promised to NEVER encounter hard things—we are promised however that God will be with us through EVERY STEP of EVERY trial we encounter

Sanctification carries with it the knowledge that it’s accomplished by God’s hand and in God’s timing

Sanctification is accomplished little by little (Deuteronomy 7:22)

Sanctification must include prayer for God’s wisdom as we encounter various trials and testings (James 1:5-8)

Sanctification cannot happen apart from God’s presence in our lives and our yielding to His presence in our lives

Sanctification grows our spiritual maturity:

We can never think that as we are sanctified, as we grow in spiritual maturity that we need God less. On the contrary, the more we grow in Christ, the more we should realize, ever so the, our daily need of Him.

As we grow in maturity and as we are more and more obedient, we come to recognize that our enemy doesn’t attack us less, he looks to attack us, distract us, deter us, and defeat us even more. At the same time, spiritual maturity recognizes all the more the need of Christ in the day to day and we become more dependent on Christ and the full armor of God

Spiritual maturity makes us more keenly aware of even the smallest of transgressions; we must understand this as spiritual refinement, that through confession & repentance and the yielding to the Holy Spirit, God prunes even the slightest of leaven out of our lives

Spiritual maturity never ceases this side of heaven and will be forever be the pulse of the believer’s life until Christ returns or calls them home.

Spiritual maturity recognizes we will fail. We are still, and will be this side of eternity, at war with our sinful nature. Listen to what Paul says

Spiritual maturity recognizes this battle with our sinful nature, a recogizees we must never walk thinking we will never fail, b/c this thinking is a dangerous and slippery slope. There will be times where we will fail and fail often, and maybe even fail hard—but again remember Peter!

Spirtual maturity knows this and understands the value of repentance and confession, along with the freedom found in forgiveness, so that through these, we may walk more and more in the character of Christ

Spiritual maturity is NEVER to be about ourselves increasing, but ALWAYS about Christ increasing

Spiritual maturity understands that you will never graduate the Gospel—you will never stop learning, being pruned, being prepared, being equipped, and being chastened—you will always have something to learn—and that’s OK—the more we learn about our faith and walk in obedience, the more our faith is refined and the more our lives reflect the life of Jesus Christ

Spiritual maturity requires spiritual sweat and spiritual diligence, and while we can/will make it difficult, God has promised the believer something. He has promised to do whatever it takes to conform you into the image of Christ. There are times we will walk through and have to deal with awful things, and sometimes you wont understand the reason God is permitting you to walk through it until you’ve walked it. Yet know this…God is committed to shaping you into the image of Jesus, and that’s good for you. He hasn’t forgotten you and He hasn’t forsaken you.

Yet this requires that we sojourn God’s way:

God’s way is to recognize that His plan ALWAYS serves His two-fold will (salvation & sanctification)

God’s way is to recognize that His way ALWAYS requires faith and obedience

God’s way is to recognized that His way is ALWAYS & is ONLY accomplished in learning how to live and walk with God’s presence.

Where are you today? Because you can only be in two spots:

In need of positional sanctification

In need to grow in progressive sanctification