Leaving Your Baggage Behind

Introduction:

In today’s society there are those of us that either want to hold on to the pass, or are afraid to move on from their past lives. There were situations that happened to them ten or maybe fifteen years ago that they are still holding on to. An old saying that people use to say was “Let bye gones be bye gones.” It’s time to let the past stay in the past, and with that statement it brings me to my first of two points.

Development:

Point #1: Don’t Look Back, Because There’s Nothing

There.

When I think of this sermonic title, I can’t help but think of when it’s time to the days of slavery. When I think of the slaves that were on the plantations, they worked worked from sun up to sun down. They were in the fields working in cotton, tobacco, vegetables gardens, and live stock such as cows, hogs, chickens, etc.

But one day the Emancipation of Proclamation was passed and slavery was abolished. This was the law that Abraham Lincoln signed for all slaves to be free. They were free to leave the plantations and start their lives over a fresh.

When the slaves heard of this law being passed, most of them did not leave the plantations because of fear. They feared not being able to survive. They feared the unknown. So they chose to stay on the plantations and to continue being slaves.

My brothers and my sisters when God delivers you out of a situation, you need to pick up your baggage and leave. The poor Israelites were so afraid that they completely forgot about what God had done for them and were getting angry with the man of God. They began to blame him and God for their circumstance.

In their little minds they had forgotten about the prayers they prayed for deliverance. They had forgotten about the killing of the male babies. They were ready to pack up and go back to the lash of the whip.

They were brain washed to believe that what they had really wasn’t that bad. That’s why some people suffer through spousal abuse because in their minds to leave is worse that to suffer the mental and physical abuse.

Point #2: Do Not Be Afraid Because God Has Your Back

Now let’s look at what the Israelites was dealing with. Here they are trapped by the Red Sea and the world’s greatest army is on their heels to bring them back to Egypt.

Exodus 14:6-9 says that Pharaoh had mobilized his massive army.

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.

Fear, Webster’s definition of fear is fear can be a feeling of anxiety: an unpleasant feeling of anxiety or apprehension caused by the presence or anticipation of danger.

Fear is one of the worst nightmares people can face as they journey through the wilderness of the world. Now don’t think that the Israelites were the only ones going through a wilderness.

Whenever we are living for God we are going to have to go through a wilderness. When God is ready to take us to a higher level in Him we are going to have to go through a wilderness. When we are being tested, we are going to have to face our wilderness.

Fear causes people to do several things. People worry incessantly about money. People fight among themselves. People become overly concerned about the way they look. People strike out at people. People isolate themselves. People make rash hurried decisions.

The list could go on and on. But preacher, what is a person to do when fear strikes?

Conclusion:

I want to close with that question.

I’m so glad that you asked that question. There is only one antidote. There is only one true remedy. The antidote and remedy is the Lord Jesus Christ.

He is the only one that delivers us from fear. He is the only one that can bring peace in the midst of a storm.