Taking Foward Steps Series

INTRODUCTION

Do you know if you are heading in the direction that you should be going? Maybe we need to stop; plug into God’s GPS; and see what way we ought to be going. With that short introduction, I want to remind you that I began a new series called God’s Divine Directions (Finding God’s GPS).

I learned an important thing about my car’s GPS; the destination does not pop up on my screen until I am very near it. What shows up on the screen is the next very short distance I need to navigate in order to eventually get to my next short distance and then the next short distance and so on until eventually the destination show up in the screen.

And the same way that my car’s GPS system works is the same way that God’s GPS system works. Let me show you the Scripture. Proverbs 16:9 (NIV)

9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. We tell God, we want to know the destination; we want to see the destination in front of us, and God responds I will show you the steps forward. In other words, with God’s GPS you don’t know the destination to where the Father is taking you until you follow the steps.

And so last time we met two weeks ago, we started looking at the steps because steps are an important way to find God’s direction. And the first steps we looked at were the upward steps. And we discovered when God’s GPS is calling for upward steps, He is asking you and I to move from the plateau that we have been on to a higher level. And we saw that in order to do that, most times, we must remove some things out of our life that hinder us from going upward. It stands to reason; you don’t want to carry along anything that is going to make it harder to get to your destination.

Today, we want to look at the second type of steps you may discover on God’s GPS- forward steps. Each one of us got to answer the question: “Are we taking forward steps spiritually in our life? If not, then I can tell you that you are stagnant or going backward. Turn with in your Bibles to Philippians 3:12-13 and Exodus 14:12 then 15 and 16.

SCRIPTURE

Philippians 3:12-13 (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,

Exodus 14:12 then 15-16(NKJV)

12 Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, 'Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians?' For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness"…15 And the LORD said to Moses, "Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.

16 But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

Let me tell you three things according to those two Scriptures we just read that we must do in order to take those steps forward.

Point #1

PEOPLE STUCK IN THE PAST CANNOT STEP FORWARD. THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE STUCK IN THE PAST BECAUSE THEY LONG FOR THE GOOD OLD DAYS. AND THEN, THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE STUCK IN THE PAST BECAUSE THEY CANNOT FORGIVE OTHERS OR THEMSELVES.

Paul tells us to forget what lies behind. And in your life, one of two things may have you stuck in the past. There are people, possibly some in this church, that look back at yesterday years and thing of them so endearingly that they long to go back and live in those years rather than living in the present moment.

The Bible in Ecclesiastes 7:10 (NKJV) says

10 Do not say, "Why were the former days better than these?" For you do not inquire wisely concerning this. You heard people reminisce about those bygone days as the good old days, the glory days.

Songs have been written about yesterday. Remember this one: Once upon a time there was a tavern

Where we used to raise a glass or two

Remember how we laughed away the hours

And dreamed of all the great things we would do

Those were the days my friend

We thought they'd never end

We'd sing and dance forever and a day