A Journey of Growth

Introduction

President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached its third year of bloody civil war. The proclamation declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free."

On April 18, 1865, the Civil War ended with the surrender of the Confederate army. 617,000 Americans had died in the war, approximately the same number as in all of America's other wars combined. Thousands had been injured. The southern landscape was devastated. A new chapter in American history opened as the Thirteenth Amendment, passed in January of 1865, was implemented. It abolished slavery in the United States, and now, with the end of the war, four million African Americans were free. Thousands of former slaves travelled throughout the south, visiting or searching for loved ones from whom they had become separated. Harriet Jacobs was one who returned to her old home. Former slaveholders faced the bewildering fact of emancipation with everything from concern to rage to despair.

-Birdsville Plantation in Georgia

Men and women -- black and white and in the North and South -- now began the work of rebuilding the shattered union and of creating a new social order. This period would be called Reconstruction. It would hold many promises and many tragic disappointments. It was the beginning of a long, painful struggle, far longer and more difficult than anyone could realize. It was the beginning of a struggle that is not yet finished. As part of Reconstruction, two new amendments were added to the Constitution. The Fourteenth Amendment, passed in June 1865, granted citizenship to all people born or naturalized in the United States. The Fifteenth Amendment, passed in February of 1869, guaranteed that no American would be denied the right to vote on the basis of race. For many African Americans, however, this right would be short-lived. Following Reconstruction, they would be denied their legal right to vote in many states until the Voting Rights Act of 1965. But all of this was yet to come. The Americans of 1865 were standing at the point between one era and another. What they knew was that slavery was dead. With that 250 year legacy behind them, they faced the future.

Darlene Zschech - I Will Never Be the Same Again Lyrics

I will never be the same again, I can never return, I've closed the door. I will walk apart, I'll run the race And I will never be the same again. I will never be the same again, I can never return, I've closed the door. I will walk apart, I'll run the race And I will never be the same again.

Israel was on a new path in life. One door was closing and another door was opening. Their lives would never be the same again. They were free. They were slaves and now they were free from the slavery in Egypt.

The story of the great exodus of the people of Israel from Egypt is a story of our former lives of the enslavement of sin and walking our new pilgrimage under the lordship of Christ.

As we will continue our journey through Exodus we will see a journey in the life of Israel and many struggles they will face to ultimately reach the Promised land. We will see that their journey was not direct and there were many hiccups along the way, but the Lord prevailed. Amen.

This morning we want to learn from our text how can we succeed in our journey of growth in Jesus Christ. How can we go about maturing in our walk with Jesus Christ. Is that not what you want? Do you want to be a stagnant Christian or a sanctified Christian that is growing each day more like Christ? Let’s discover how.

Turn in your Bibles this morning to Exodus 13:1-2

Exodus 13:1–2 NKJV

1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine.”

Prayer

Message

I remember the movie The Shawshank Redemption. You might remember that Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman were in the movie. It was a movie about a handful of fellas that wanted desperately to escape their past and leave prison and to become free.

One of the issues that was interesting about the movie is the fact that Morgan Freeman’s character had been imprisoned so long that once he was on the outside working at a grocery store he could not perform certain bodily functions without gaining permission from a person of authority to relieve himself. His years of incarceration had created such a dependence, such an enslavement to that action that he could not function in the outside world very easily under the new freedoms he enjoyed.

We will discover that Israel struggled in the journey of freedom from Egypt and their new found faith in trusting Yahweh and God’s appointed leader in Moses had its challenges. Their old life had such a grip on them and they had to journey in faith in hopes for something better.

Do you realize that everyone is enslaved to something? We are enslaved to our schedules, we are enslaved to our work, others are enslaved to financial responsibilities, enslaved to those things we must keep up with, we are enslaved to rearing a family or paying the bills and on and on. Something or someone has your captured attention.

Jesus stated that we are slaves to something or someone.

Matthew 6:24 “24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

We in reality think that we want to be totally free, but life totally free would be a life without purpose, without vision, a life lived aimlessly with no meaning. Think for a moment that if you were supposedly free and had no accountability to your spouse or family, how long would that last? Consider that you came and went when you wanted with no consideration of loved ones, how long would the relationships last? How secure would your loved ones be with your action? And so goes our relationship with Jesus. When we have no accountability, no respect, no awareness of following Jesus’ will for our life, can we really be called His child?

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 “19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

The point is that when we are saved in Christ Jesus, yes, we are no longer slaves of sin, but we become a slave of Jesus Christ. If we are to enjoy the fullness of life found in Christ it begins with our enslavement to Him.

Listen to what Paul writes to the believers in Rome:

Romans 6:16–22 NKJV

16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.

There are three areas of focus we want to consider this morning as we walk this journey of growing in the Lord, this journey of sanctification.

The first consideration in our journey of growth in the Lord is:

Devoted Life to the Lord VV. 1-16

Being devoted.

In our reading of Paul’s words to the believers in Rome, Paul stated that we were enslaved in our former life of sin and we are to trade that enslavement for enslavement in righteousness. We are now enslaved to the things of God. Part of that enslavement is being devoted to God.

Consecrate-Qadosh

Signifies being set apart and separate, either intrinsically (in the case of God) or secondarily (through rituals or contact with what is already holy).

The core meaning of this verb is “to be holy.”

Listen as we read Exodus 13:3-10.

Exodus 13:3–7 “3 And Moses said to the people: “Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out of this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. 4 On this day you are going out, in the month Abib. 5 And it shall be, when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep this service in this month. 6 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord. 7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days. And no leavened bread shall be seen among you, nor shall leaven be seen among you in all your quarters.”

Exodus 13:8–10 “8 And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, ‘This is done because of what the Lord did for me when I came up from Egypt.’ 9 It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the Lord’s law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt. 10 You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year.”

In verse 3 we read of four aspects of our former life that helps motivate us in our new life in Christ.

“remember this day”

Ponder

God calls us to ponder from whence we come. Think about your life before Christ and how your life has changed since you have been saved. I imagine that night was another agonizing, sore worn out day of laying bricks, bricks with no straw, hands hurt, feet hurt, and hearts were weary....and....all of a sudden, there was an energy, there was a synergy of hope, an excitement, a sense of urgency, people scuffling, grabbing and bundling and put everything together as quick as was possible, but a fear of the unknown. But an excitement for what tomorrow held!

“went out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage”

Prison & Past

Moses described the place of their past as a place of bondage. He called it a house. They were in bondage all the time. A place of bondage is not a joyful existence.

For us to appreciate our present, we must look upon our past. And listen closely, if our present life in Christ has experienced no change in the present, I can assure you were never saved. If there were not some chains dropped of past and are still there as in past, most likely you never were really saved.

Now let me say that there are chains of our past that are more difficult to drop than others. Each of us have pet sins that continue to wrap around us and pull us back into our past. Satan knows those chains to wrap around you.

Some may have chains of gossip you can’t shake, some may have chains of stinginess or greed, or malice, or a chain of filthy language, or a carousing or flirtatious manner about you, course jesting. Others may have chains of selfishness with your time, or an overzealous pull to hobbies or personal interests, or work and the list goes on.

Ponder those chains. Move from the house of bondage and move toward the promised land. What environments, what choices, what surroundings help to overcome those chains?

Real repentance, true regeneration is a life heading in one direction and our lives will change direction if we are truly saved. You may have dropped the chains of bitterness or cynical living. You may of dropped the chains of pride or the chains of materialism or selfishness. You may have dropped the chains that bound you of a life of carousing, or a filthy mouth, or an attitude of greed.

Unfortunately, in a crowd as we have here this morning, someone may be living in a prison this morning. Are you bound by your past? Are you bound by poor choices you can not shake? Are you bound by addiction as some coping mechanism to your past? Maybe you are enslaved to an unhealthy home environment or enslaved to finances? God loves you and God is a jealous God and does not want to share you with any other enslavement. Give those bound chains over to the Lord and God will unbind them if He is called on to intervene. Amen?

Provider

“for by strength of hand of the Lord”

Oh dear brother or sister, most of our struggles in this life is when we think we are in control of our destinies. When we take credit for our gains and accomplishments and forget to give credit to the One who holds the stars in the skies.

Exodus 3:20 NKJV

20 So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in its midst; and after that he will let you go.

Place

“brought you out of this place.”

Dearly beloved, let’s call it what it is this morning. God brought you and He brought me and He brought everyone here that has believed on the Lord Jesus, He brought us out of the pits of hell.

Everyone of us deserves a one way ticket to hell, but Jesus went to the cross and His cross, His death, broke the tracks of our destiny and He provided a new direction in a life in the here and now in the abundance with Him and in the hereafter with a home in heaven when we die.

So part of the devotion is to remember from whence we came.

Secondly, to be devoted to God we must give our best.

“Consecrate to me all the firstborn.”

Set apart for me your very best. Allow me to enslave your children to me, your livelihood to me, your home to me, your health to me, your relationships to me. Give me your best and allow me to influence them and everything you do and everything you are. Be devoted to that in so doing, I will bring you into the Land of Milk & Honey.

Positive

Lastly, be devoted to being positive about the outcomes in your life. Keep your mind on the things you want and off the things you do not want. Think positive results for your life.

Notice very specifically Moses’ words ordained by God and look with exactness to what Moses stated:

“On this day you are going out, in the month of Abib.”

Moses prophesied a positive outcome. You are leaving and it is going to be a new day. In fact, this will be the first day of a new life. Abib-Spring. The springing up of the barley season. This will be new, bright life coming forth, a new adventure, an exciting day.

Exodus 13:5 NKJV

5 And it shall be, when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep this service in this month.

“And it shall be”

Romans 12:2 “2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Philippians 4:8–9 “8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”

Colossians 3:2 “2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”

Moses called on the people to keep their minds stayed on the prize of freedom in God.

Philippians 3:13–14 “13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

We are what we eat yes, but we are what we think. Remember our discussing certain chains of your past that are tougher to shake than others?

The first matter to consider is your environment, your surroundings. The people we associate, the places we put ourselves in, the shows we watch, the materials we read, the social media we take in are all forming your thoughts.

Be around those you want to be like, to emulate.

Oh dear brother and sister, be around Jesus. Get with Jesus in every way you can.

Ill. Billy Graham having a teaching moment with his son. They stepped on an ant bed. Billy Graham was sorrowful with his son that they killed the ants. How does someone have a heart that tender? Being around Jesus.

Directed Life in the Lord VV. 17-21

Exodus 13:17–21 NKJV

17 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.” 18 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. 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.” 20 So they took their journey from Succoth and camped in Etham at the edge of the wilderness. 21 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.

Egypt to Israel

“God did not lead them by way 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.”

Here we read that God was looking ahead and anticipating the Israelites actions had He directed them the shortest route. Two forces were at hand as it related to war traveling the more obvious route to Israel. By the way, the shortest route would have taken probably two months for a group as large (2,000,000 people) as Israel to make it. We know the journey took 40 years to make it to the destination. Interestingly in Eastern culture, a man is matured at age 40. This reality is a history of reaching maturity.

Several things we can take away from this section of study.

Firstly, our easiest decisions, our easiest choices are not always the best choices. We see that God knew that Egypt would regroup and come after Israel and there were outposts all along the road that would be a trap for Israel. Secondly, they would have been journey through Philistine territory that was always a battle ready people and God knew they were numerous, but had no instruments of war in possession.

The question we all have and I am sure Israel had of God is this:

God just show us the out come. Show what our lives will be like by following your direction? Firstly, we could not handle it if we know it. Secondly, we learn to trust in baby steps.

The topography or terrain by which they traveled the Negev route was a short distance and a sharp 90 degree turn this way or that and go to the next wall and change direction. The journey Israel took represents life. We do not know from one day to the next what roadblocks, barriers and detours we will encounter on a day to day basis. We must learn to trust God as we journey.

Psalm 107:7 NKJV

7 And He led them forth by the right way, That they might go to a city for a dwelling place.

Sometimes traveling the right way is not always the fastest or easiest way.

Oh dearly beloved, we have all had times when we ask God questions, why did I not get that job or that promotion? Why did we miss that house that was for sale? Why did we not get that opportunity in that new city? Why did I not get accepted by that school?

Have you ever stopped to consider that God may not have wanted you at that job, that new town, or at that school, or with that possible relationship?

Proverbs 3:5 NKJV

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

Exodus 13:21 “21 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.”

Fire and smoke were the signals of battle during Biblical times. God was leading them in a battle toward His best for them.

Ill. Moses saw God in the Burning Bush. Nationally speaking, the sky was ablaze. A large night light.

Ill. True story- Donald-dark places.

Dearly beloved, outside of Christ the world is a dark place. Are you in a dark place today?

John 8:12 “12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.””