Pathway To The Promised Land

Pathway to the Promised Land

Numbers 13-14

A. There is a Promised Land for the Church

Promised Land: a place for this church to be

that is better than where we are now

God does have dreams and desires for the Church

He has put us in where we are for a reason.

He allows us to be a part of his church, not

only for our own blessings, but for the

blessings of those who are yet to come.

Do you realize we need to be living and planning

for people who will become Christians here in

the future. People we don’t even know today.

But if we plan for them, if we pray for them,

God will send them. God will send us to them.

B. God calls the church to have vision

It has been said that if you do not know where

you are going… any road will take you there.

Outreach- we are surrounded by a community that

needs Christ. I believe we are the church to

help them have that need met.

Prayer- We need to get serious about prayer.

I’ve been praying for this church.

Building- We have money in the bank and an open

field. Having a hefty savings and a nice lawn

are not part of God’s plan for this church. We

had almost 80 kids at our New Year’s Eve

party. Our youth need a multi purpose

building. When I drive to the office, I see it.

Worship- Worship leader, dual services.

Discipleship- Our members growing not only

closer to one another, but loving God more, and

growing closer to him every day.

C. Some see giants, some see blessings. What will

we see?

That will not work.

We’ve tried that before, it didn’t go well.

I like our church the way it is now.

Being a kid on the 6th grade playground, I

remember the awful experience of running to the

ball field at recess only to hear those awful

words shouted just before I joined in the

game…”No more players!” How many games I had to

sit and watch because the kids wouldn’t allow

just one more player.

When we say we like our church just the size it

is right now, we might as well stand and

yell “No more players!” When we take all the

best seats and parking places, we might as well

stand and yell “No more players!” When we

neglect to welcome new people or invite our

friends and neighbors to church, we might as

well stand and yell “No more players!” Can the

church ever be to full for one more soul to come

to Christ and be changed for eternity.

We don’t have the money.

(Who does the church belong to? Who has all the

money?)

Some people might not like the new changes and

quit coming.

We must do what we feel God is leading us to do,

not just what the majority want.)

D. The journey requires much

Faith- God has led where we are for a reason.

Let’s trust him.

Obedience- (Let’s go back to Egypt. Let’s

choose a new leader.) Many a minister has been

released for trying to lead.

A new preacher at the local church walked into

the auditorium of His new church. He thought it

would be best to move the piano from the right

side of the stage to the left side of the stage,

so he moved it. Soon after he was fired for the

disruption caused by the new placement of the

piano. Five years later he returned to the same

church to visit with the minister who stepped in

when he was fired. They walked into the

auditorium and there was the piano on the left

side of the stage. The once fired preacher

asked "How did you get the piano to the left

side of the stage? They fired me for moving

it." The reply from the other minister was

plain. "I came in every day and moved the piano

to the left three inches."

Sacrifice- Joshua and Caleb did not deny the

existence of giants, they just believed that God

would deliver them.

We will have to sacrifice to get to the place

where God wants this church to be.

D. With God we can do anything, without Him we can do

nothing

After they rebelled, the Israelites decided to

go into the promised land, against God and they

were destroyed.

Everything done in the church must be done

according to the will of the Lord and not done

merely by human wisdom. It must all be done for

the glory of God and the glory of men.

E. Who is ready to journey into the Promised Land?

Will you commit to praying for the church and

it’s leaders?