Temple Of Deliverance 1

It’s Time To Move!

Deuteronomy 1:6

       I come today on divine assignment, with a divine word from the Lord.  I come to help dedicate this building for God’s use, but it is more important that I dedicate you, the people, than that I dedicate a building.  If I am invited back on another occasion, I will seek to preach, but that is not my intent this evening.

       In keeping with this reverent, important, and auspicious occasion, I believe I have a word from the Lord for you from Deuteronomy 1:6.

       After taking a huge risk in following the leading of the Lord, in a particular situation at church, I felt nervous and apprehensive—because I understood a little of the tremendous risk that I was taking.  As I opened my Bible the next morning for my daily reading, God gave me this Scripture as an answer to my apprehension:

Deuteronomy 1:6, “The Lord our God spoke to us at Horeb, saying, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain.’”

God had delivered the Children of Israel with His mighty hand and His outstretched arm that they might worship Him at Mount Horeb and then journey to the Promised Land and possess it, but the Children of Israel were stuck at Mount Horeb.

(Now what is Horeb, where is Horeb, and what is the significance of Horeb?)

Horeb is a mountain in the south central part of a peninsula in the northwestern end of Arabia.

You are probably more familiar with the name Sinai.  The Bible uses the term “Sinai” for both the mountain and the entire wilderness area (Lev. 7:38).  So, the names Horeb and Sinai are probably synonymous (Ex. 3:1).  Since Horeb means “waste” or “wilderness area,” it seems best to think of Horeb as the general term for the area and Sinai as the specific peak where God manifested Himself to Moses.

Horeb was a tremendously important area and Sinai was a very important mountain, because God made many significant revelations of Himself and His purposes to Israel there.  It was at Horeb, particularly at Sinai, the mountain of God, that God revealed to Moses what his assignment would be.

The Bible says in

Exodus 3:12, “And He (i.e. Jehovah God) said, ‘Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.’”

Many people miss Moses’ true calling.  He was more than the Deliverer of Israel; He was the worship leader of Israel, who even wrote songs.  One of his songs is recorded in the Psalms.  Be that as it may, God told Moses,

“...when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.”

Moses was to deliver the children of Israel out of the bondage of Egypt for the purpose of worshipping God at a specific place and for a specific time.

       Now, when they arrived at Horeb, they were in for a spectacular display of divine fireworks.  The Bible says in

Exodus 19:18, “Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently.”

It must have been an awesome thing indeed to see, hear, feel, smell, taste, and experience the presence of the holy, true and living God in the physical manifestations that burst upon that sanctified mountain!  Yet, the manifestations engendered fear and apprehension, and God was after reverence—not terror.

Consequently, I don’t believe God ever intended for the Israelites to stay as long as they did at Horeb.  God did not deliver the Children of Israel from Egyptian bondage to live at Horeb, but to possess the Promised Land.  Horeb was to only be a brief stop on the journey to the Promised Land.  The Bible tells us in

Deuteronomy 1:2, “It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea.”

Kadesh-barnea was just in front of the Promised Land.  It seems that God intended for the Children of Israel to worship Him at Horeb, be affirmed in His grace, receive the Ten Commandments as guides for living as a community and conquering the Promised Land, and then to proceed on to Kadesh-barnea.

Unfortunately, the Children of Israel ended up camping at Horeb for nearly a year.  Why?  Well, one of the reasons was sin, particularly with respect to their worship.  While Moses was up on the mountain receiving the Ten Commandments, the Children of Israel made idol gods and proclaimed,

“We don’t know what happened to this Moses.  These, O Israel, are the gods which brought us up out of Egypt.”

       When Moses came back down from the mountain, he was so angry that he threw the two tablets of the Ten Commandments, which were written by the very finger of God, and they shattered on the ground.  Then, Moses called for everyone who was on the Lord’s side to come to him.  The Levites came to him and Moses commanded the Levites to strap on their swords and for every man to kill his brother.  The wages of sin is death!

       The history from this point contains many twists and turns.  We simply need to note that eventually Moses went back upon the mountain and received two more tablets from Jehovah God.  All of these events, no doubt led to the Israelites spending more time at Horeb than God intended.

(That is the background of the one verse we want to deal with.)

       Now, let’s return to the Scripture that God gave me.  The Bible says in

Deuteronomy 1:6, “The Lord our God spoke to us at Horeb, saying, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain.’”

·        The Israelites were behind the intended schedule of God.

·        The Israelites were not where God had intended for them to be.

·        The Israelites were stuck in a rut.

Vance Havner said that a rut is nothing but a grave with the ends kicked out.

The Israelites were to worship God, reaffirm God’s grace, and move towards the Promised Land, but instead they opted for the Law and then settled at Horeb.  Even though they had affirmed the Law instead of grace, they were not to settle down at Horeb.  After the Law was given, God called Israel to move towards Canaan—to take possession of the land God promised to their forefathers (Hayford Bible Handbook).

·        The Israelites were to worship God, in their initial worship experiences, at the terrible mountain of Horeb—but these were not supposed to be their permanent worship experiences.

Their permanent worship experiences were to be in the Promised Land.

(Now what does God want to say to you in this Scripture?)

       Perhaps it’s not clear to you, but it is clear to me.  God is saying to you, “It’s time to move!”  Tell two people, “It’s time to move!”  You are probably thinking, but we have already moved.  Remember, I am not talking about moving to another building, but moving as a people!!!

·        It’s time to move from Horeb!

Horeb represents a roadside stop on the highway of holiness, but not a destination.  God is calling for a new level of holiness and consecration.

·        It’s time to move from the fearful mountain of Horeb.

God did not intend for us to live in abject fear of Him, but in reverence to Him.  Fear involves punishment, but reverence proceeds from love!!!

·        It’s time to move from the legalistic mountain of Horeb.

Christianity is not a set of rules, but a relationship with Jesus Christ.  It is not performance, but personal relationship and fellowship with God.  It’s not about our heads, but our hearts.  It’s not about the Law, but love!!!

·        It’s time to move from the boundaries (box) of Horeb.

God wants us to let Him out of the box.  We need to be open the fresh move of God.  I know that Pastor Hale has been trying to lead this fresh move of God.

·        It’s time to move from the early worship practices of Horeb.

God wants to continually expand our worship practices, until we get home.

·        It’s time to move from the early understandings of the Bible at Horeb.

God wants us to grow in our knowledge of Him.

·        It’s time to move from the sights, sounds, smells, feelings, and tastes of Horeb!

God wants us to experience new sights, sounds, smells, feelings, and tastes.

·        It’s time to move from the experiences of Horeb!

God wants to give us knew worship experiences.

·        It’s time to move from the past!

God wants to move us to the present and into the future.

There was nothing wrong with what the Israelites experienced at Horeb, but they had been at this mountain for too long!  It was time to move and I believe it is time for every believer in Christ to move.  There may be nothing wrong with where you have been, but it’s time to move.  It’s going to take more to serve the Lord today than it took yesterday, but the devil has come down with great wrath, knowing that he only has a short time!

q       It’s time to move from the rut of fear!

God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.  We must not be afraid of the fresh move of God.  God will disturb our comfort zones, so that we drawn towards deeper intimacy with Him.

q       It’s time to move from the rut of legalism!

Christianity is not about rules, but about relationships.

q       It’s time to move from the rut of shortsightedness and myopia that limits our vision!

I pray that God will open our eyes and show us the Promised Land of abundant Christian living!  I pray for you as Elisha prayed for his servant in

2 Kings 6:17, “Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.’  And the Lord opened the servant's eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

q       It’s time to move from the rut of dead orthodoxy and ritualism!

We must begin to understand that God periodically changes models, paradigms, rituals, etc.  God orchestrates the pattern of orientation, disorientation, and reorientation.

q       It’s time to move from the rut of comfortability!

God is ultimately concerned about our growth and glorification.  He comforts the afflicted, but often allows affliction of the comfortable!

q       It’s time to move from the rut of expected experiences at Horeb!

God wants to orchestrate new experiences at church.  We often leave the way we came to church, or worse.  That is not what God wants for us.

q       It’s time to move from the rut of the past!

Nostalgia is an attempt to relive and hold onto the past, but God is moving His church towards the future, which is the revelation of His kingdom!!!

       God was speaking specifically to me about the Holy Spirit.  This is the dispensation of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus has been crucified, buried, raised from the dead again, and ascended, but He promised us another Helper of the same nature as Him.  He said, He is with you, but He shall be in you!  The inauguration of this dispensation is all tied up with the Holy Spirit and power.  It’s time to seek and experience all of the synonyms for the baptism in the Holy Ghost.

·        Being clothed with power from on high;

·        The promise of the Father;

·        The baptism in the Holy Spirit;

·        The coming of the Holy Spirit;

·        The filling of the Holy Spirit;

·        The pouring forth of the Holy Spirit;

·        The promise of the Spirit;

·        The gift of the Holy Spirit;

·        The falling of the Holy Spirit upon us; and

·        The gift of the Holy Spirit being poured out on us.

Ø     It’s time to move from Horeb toward Canaan!

Ø     It’s time to move towards the Promised Land!

Ø     It’s time to move towards abundant Christian living!

Ø     It’s time to move towards being filled with the Holy Spirit!

Ø     It’s time to move towards Abba Father fellowship with Jehovah God!

Ø     It’s time to move towards the vision of the future!

Ø     It’s time to move towards the freedom of the guidance of the Holy Spirit!

Ø     It’s time to move towards conquering territory that has been lost to Satan!

Ø     It’s time to move towards the spontaneity and freedom of the Spirit!

Ø     It’s time to move towards new life that manifests itself as a well of living water and rivers of living water!

Ø     It’s time to move towards the future!

Ø     It’s time to move towards holy boldness through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

Ø     It’s time to move towards the new sights, sounds, smells, feelings, and tastes of the Promised Land!

Ø     It’s time to move towards new experiences first in the wilderness, and then in the Promised Land.

Ø     It’s time to begin to experience a whole new worship encounter!

Ø     It’s time to move towards the future!

It’s time to move!  It’s time to move!!  It’s time to move!!!  You have moved from the old building to the new building, and some of you are still having trouble with that.  But, God wants you to move towards Him.

·        You won’t get there immediately, but it’s time to move!

·        You don’t need to rush out under our own power, but it’s time to move!

The pillar of cloud, which represents the providential leading of the Holy Spirit, is moving, and it is time to prepare your stuff for moving.

·        Gather up your belongings.

·        Gather up your family.

·        Prepare yourself.

·        Get in traveling formation!

·        Drop whatever else you are doing!

It’s time to move!

(Now is the Day of Salvation.  Come to Jesus, Now!)

Invitation

Call to Discipleship