05-22-2022 - Moving Forward

OPENING

Today, we’re MOVING FORWARD.

SCRIPTURE

Deuteronomy 2:1–3 (NKJV)

1 “Then we turned and journeyed into the wilderness of the Way of the Red Sea, as the Lord spoke to me, and we skirted (circled) Mount Seir for many days.

2 “And the Lord spoke to me, saying:

3 ‘You have skirted (circled) this mountain long enough; turn northward.

MESSAGE

Intro

God delivered Israel out of bondage and slavery in Egypt.

He brought them through the Red Sea.

He destroyed the Egyptian army in the midst of the sea.

He brought them to Mt. Sinai where He appeared to them in power and glory and gave them His laws and commandments.

They moved to Kadesh Barnea on the edge of the Promised Land.

And Moses sent 12 spies into the land of Canaan, the Promised Land, to scout it out.

The spies were in the land for 40 days.

But only 2 of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, came back with a good report.

10 spies returned with a bad report.

And the people listened to the 10 spies and refused to enter the Promised Land, even though God had promised to give it to them.

Israel was so close to the Promise.

It was only 11 days journey from Mt. Sinai to the Promised Land.

They also we’re standing right on the threshold of the Promised Land in Kadesh Barnea where Moses sent out the 12 spies.

But God said that that generation would not enter the Promised Land.

God said they would wander in the wilderness one year for every day the spies spent spying out the land.

All of that generation, all those 20 years old and older, except Joshua and Caleb, would die in the wilderness before Israel could enter the Promised Land.

They would have to spend 40 years in the wilderness before they could inherit the Promise.

They had already spent 2 years at Mt. Sinai where they received God’s Law and Commandment.

So 38 years of their sentence remained.

Moses sums of the remaining 38 years in the first few verses of Deuteronomy 2.

He said, “we circled Mt. Seir many days.”

Those few words summed up 38 years of Israel’s history in the wilderness because of their unbelief.

Going in Circles

Israel went in circles.

The Promised Land was only 11 days journey from Mt. Sinai.

And Israel was at the threshold of the Promised Land at Kadesh Barnea where Moses sent out the 12 spies.

But because of their unbelief, they wandered around in circles in the wilderness for 38 years.

Do you ever feel like your going in circles?

Like you’re circle the same mountains.

The same problems.

The same struggles.

Like you’re stuck in a cycle?

It’s the same pattern over and over again.

The scenery doesn’t seem to change.

What about feeling like your’re stuck in a rut?

You are not going in circles because you are not moving.

You’re trying to grow but it seems like growth has stopped.

You’re trying to move forward, but it feels like life is just trying to keep you held down.

Moving Forward

The time came for Israel to stop going in circles and enter the Promised Land.

God said, enough is enough.

You have circled this mountain long enough.

Turn northward and move into the Promise.

There comes a time when you have to decide you’re tired of going in circles and it is time to MOVE FORWARD.

We need to make up in our mind we are moving forward.

I don’t care what has happened in the past.

I don’t care how many mountains we’ve had to face.

I don’t care how long we’ve been circling those mountains.

Today is the day God is saying, “you have circled this mountain long enough. Now move forward.”

Press Toward the Goal

Philippians 3:12–14 NKJV

12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 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.

Paul acknowledged that he was not perfect, he had not arrived, and he needed to keep pressing on for Christ.

None of us have arrived.

We all have areas in our lives where we can draw closer to God.

We all have weights and sins we can lay down.

We all have times in our lives where we get stuck going in circles, skirting mountains that we should have left behind a long time ago.

Paul said, I’ve got to do one thing, I’ve got to forget those things that are behind me.

Maybe you can’t MOVE FORWARD because you are holding onto the past.

You are circling mountains of your past.

You are in a cycle because you’re dragging around your past.

But Paul says not only does he need to forget the things behind him, but he’s got to reach forward to those things which are ahead.

In other words, he knows he needs to forget what has happened in the past, so that he can MOVE FORWARD into what God has for him in the future.

The bridge from your past to your future is your present.

The decisions you make today will shape your future.

Paul chose to reach toward the things that are ahead.

He said he had not attained them yet.

He also knew he wouldn’t attain them that day or the next day or probably the next day after that.

But he made a decision to MOVE FORWARD in the direction that he wanted to go.

What was it that Paul was moving toward?

He said, “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

In other words, Paul knew that God had a call upon his life.

And Paul made up his mind that he was going to MOVE FORWARD and press toward the goal of following God’s call on his life.

For Paul, there was no greater joy, than following the call of God on his life.

What is the call of God on our lives?

Although our individual callings may be different, there are some that we all share in common.

We are called to worship and serve God with everything we have.

We are called to be fishers of men.

We are called to be vessels of honor that are fit for the Master’s use.

We are called to share our testimony with others.

We are called to reach out to the least of these.

We are called to love.

We are called to advance the Kingdom of God on this earth.

CLOSING

It’s time the church rise up!

We will never accomplish the calling of God on our lives individually or as a church as long as we are circling the same old mountains, fighting the same old battles, and struggling with the same old sins.

If there are some mountains that have been holding you back, it is time to MOVE FORWARD.

ALTAR CALL