Leave The Baggage Behind

INTRODUCTION

Many people today, saved or unsaved, cannot move forward in their lives because they have baggage holding them back. A few types of baggage include:

Mental - “I’m not good enough”

Spiritual - “Life was easier when I was in my sin” or “I’m too weak a Christian to be an Overcomer”

Emotional - “She was the love of my life” or “I just can’t get him out of my head.” Emotional baggage also happens when you cannot get past losing a loved one. It seems like time just stands still while the rest of the world is moving forward all around you.

Point #1 - When God Has Brought You Out, Be Careful Where You Look

Exodus 14:10 AV

And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.

exodus 14

Point #2 - Don’t Be Afraid, God Protects Your Back

Exodus 14:6–9 AV

And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them. And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon.

Pharaoh had mobilized six hundred of his best chariots as well as many of the other chariots of Egypt.

By "best chariots" is meant 600 of the most advanced war machines of that day.

Pharaoh had placed officers over all the chariots. A certain number of chariots were assigned to a large number of foot soldiers. Now in your minds just imagine Six-hundred of the latest chariots to be built for warfare and hundreds of other chariots mobilized for battle. The numbers of foot soldiers were probably in the tens of thousands.

But this was not all. Pharaoh mobilized his horsemen and the troops to help support this military campaign. Pharaoh’s army was one of an enormous size.

A major military campaign was being planned and launched against God’s people, a campaign to capture and enslave and bring them back to Egypt.

Point #3 - Don’t Be Afraid, God Guides Your Front

Preaching the Word: Exodus—Saved for God's Glory Divine Guidance

Not only does he know which way is best, but he also goes along to make sure his people get there. The way God led his people out of Egypt was miraculous: “After leaving Succoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people

Exodus 13:20–22 AV

And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness. And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

ex 13:

Preaching the Word: Exodus—Saved for God's Glory Divine Guidance

What the cloud represented was the very presence of God, who was in the cloud and fire to light the way. The Scripture states that “the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud” (v. 21). This showed that he was with his people all the time, day and night. The pillar was a visible manifestation of his personal presence. Theologians call this a theophany—a God-appearance. When God shows up this way, he appears in a fiery cloud of glory, sometimes called the shekinah (Exod. 16:10; 40:34). It is an outward display of God’s inward glory.

Sometimes we wish that God would give us the same kind of guidance today. If only a bright cloud would lead us directly to the school we should attend, the job we should take, or the person we should marry! Yet the truth is that God gives us all the divine guidance we need, and in a much better form. He has given us the fire of his Spirit, and now we have his glorious presence with us all day and all night. It is as if the column of cloud and the pillar of fire have come right inside us! Jesus said that the Holy Spirit “lives with you and will be in you” (John 14:17). The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. Since he is divine, the Bible declares that “the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you” (1 Pet. 4:14). Now part of the Spirit’s glorious work is to give us direction for life. Jesus promised that the Spirit would guide us into all truth (John 16:13a), and now by the power of his holy presence, God is always with us to guide us

Point #4 - In Dark Times of your Life, See the Salvation of the Lord

Exodus 14:13 AV

And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

Don’t look to man

Don’t look at your circumstances

Don’t look at the enemies all around you

See the Salvation of the Lord. Seeing our salvation will give us joy to overcome the dark days.

In , our Lord Jesus tells three stories.  One of them is about a man who had 100 sheep and lost one, another is about a lady who lost a valuable coin, another one is about a father who lost a son, whom we now know as “the prodigal son.”  In each case, the story represents salvation.  The lost sheep is found, the lost is coin is found, the lost son is found.  Each of them pictures a lost soul brought back to God, forgiven and blessed.

And in each story there is a common response.  At the end of the story about the lost sheep it says, “And when he comes home, he calls together hisfriends and his neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.”  And then our Lord says, “I tell you that in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need not repentance.” 

In the case of the lost coin, when she found it, she called together her friends and neighbors saying, “Rejoice with me; for I have found the coin which I had lost.”  And then our Lord says, “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” 

In the story of the lost son who was found, the father said to his slaves quickly, “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 fattened calf, kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:  For this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.  And they began to be merry.  Now when his older son was in the field: and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.”

In each case there was tremendous joy, tremendous joy.  The thing that I want you to note in your mind is that salvation and celebration go together.  Salvation and joy belong together.  Being made right with God is cause for joy.

Nehemiah 8:10 AV

Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

Neh 8 10

Psalm 28:7 AV

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

Point #5 - Leave The Baggage Behind

The people turned on Moses when they saw the chariots and said:

Exodus 14:11 AV

And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?

But God was trying to teach them the same lesson that He’s trying to teach us today. He wanted to take them to the Promised Land but He could not do it as long as they held onto the baggage from where they came from.

God today wants to take us higher in Him but we cannot go w/ the baggage we carry.

Leave the ghosts of the past in the past and move forward in God.

Leave your insecurities behind

Leave your doubts and hangups behind

Let that man go

Let that man go

Let that woman go

Let lost loved ones go (I love ya, I’ll never forget ya, but its time for me to move on)

When you truly let that baggage go, then your in position to go higher in God than you have ever gone in your life

ILLUSTRATION - WOMAN AT TICKET COUNTER W/ LOTS OF LUGGAGE - TICKET AGENT SAYS, “I’M SORRY MA’AM BUT YOU CAN’T GO UP WITH THIS MUCH BAGGAGE”

[EXHORT] WHO AM I PREACHING TO IN HERE TODAY?

WHEN WE LET GO OF THE BAGGAGE HOLDING US BACK, GOD IS WAITING TO DO TREMENDOUS THINGS IN OUR LIVES!!

1 Corinthians 2:9 AV

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.