For weeks now God has put in my spirit…to move forward. Now what that means to me & what it means to you might be 2 different things, but everywhere I look…the concept keeps popping up.
It’s what is stirring in me lately, it’s what keeps me going & I don’t believe it’s just for me – I believe it’s the season we’re in / the time that we’re in. The time is now & God wants His people to get have a “moving forward” mentality.
Exodus 14:1-18 (New King James Version)
1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zemphon; you shall camp before it by the sea. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’ 4 Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD.” And they did so. 5 Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, “Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” 6 So he made ready his chariot and took his people with him. 7 Also, he took six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them. 8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness. 9 So the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zemphon. 10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD. 11Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? 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.” 13 And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14 The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” 15 And the LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. 16But 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. 17 And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”
So God’s chosen people have been living in Egypt for 400 years. They’ve been living as slaves; overworked and underpaid, stressed and worn out, pushed down and held back AND the time comes when God says “enough is enough” – the time is now - I want my people to “move forward.”
So He miraculously delivers them from their enemy and they don’t get very far before their enemy comes after them to enslave them again & as soon as the Israelites see them:
10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid…
1. FEAR – the 1st thing that can keep you from “moving forward” is FEAR.
Your circumstances don’t seem very good, your situation isn’t any better, possibly even seems worse - & with your eyes on what’s around you – you are tempted to become fearful.
What does “fear” do to man – knocks the wind out of him, stops him, paralyzes him, and in the original language – kills him.
Fear does this. Max Lucado in his book “Fearless” states that fear corrodes our confidence in God’s goodness. It will unleash a swarm of doubts, it will give us the perception that we’ve lost control and it will shape the way we live.
When fear shapes our lives, safety becomes our god. When safety becomes our god, we worship the risk-free life. Can the safety lover do anything great? No. The fear-filled can’t love deeply. Love is risky. They can’t give to the poor. Giving has no guarantee of return. The fear-filled can’t dream wildly. What if their dreams sputter and fail? The worship of safety emasculates greatness.
Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear,
Fear, just like the Egyptians, wants to put you back into bondage. And the temptation will be to go back or to desire the past.
11Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt?
2. They wanted to hold on to what was behind them
Moving forward is as much about discovering what we must leave behind as it is about embracing what we can keep. You’re at a major decision point in your life:
You can’t embrace Moses & keep Pharoah
You can’t embrace the Promise Land & keep Egypt
You can’t embrace Freedom & keep a slave mentality
Everything about Pharoah, Egypt, and a slave mentality represents satan, the world, and it’s ways.
When God miraculously delivered us, called us out, & separated us – He didn’t intend for us to keep going back to our old ways.
Philippians 3:12-20 (NLT) I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on (MF) to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on (MF) to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. 15 Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. 16 But we must hold on to the progress we have already made. 17 Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. 18 For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. 20 But we are citizens of heaven…(Rather than live like you are dying, live like you will live for eternity.)
You’ve got to focus on this one thing: Leaving behind past relationships, past places, & past mentalities – so you can fully embrace what you’re moving towards.
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.”
I imagine some wanted to give up, but some (like Joshua & Caleb) probably wanted to fight.
3. Sometimes you get to a place where you THINK your only options are to surrender or fight.
Maybe you think something’s taking place that isn’t right, maybe you feel like you’ve been treated unfairly, maybe you feel like you’ve been lied to, led in the wrong direction – things just don’t seem right - it looks impossible to keep going the way things are, and what or who is behind you is pushing you to the limits – whatchu gonna do?
Are you gonna quit, are you gonna surrender, are you gonna lay down & die OR maybe you’ll snap, blow up, fight back – stand up for yourself!
Have you ever thought that there could be more options than the obvious 2 … the 2 frequently taken, the 2 that can cause chaos, the 2 that can hurt people, and the 2 that more often than not, do more harm than good?
13 And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14 The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”
4. Trust God
In other words, God says quit acting fearful, quit acting like things are out of control – When the enemy comes against you STAND, resist the temptation to deal with things your way, & watch God take care of the problem.
Stand still, shut up & watch God fight for you!
15 And the LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.
5. Moving Forward
God says quit crying, quit complaining, quit focusing on what’s behind you now, quit fretting over the issue – It’s time to “Move Forward!”
16But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it.
6. Move Forward in FAITH
God will make a way where there seems “no way” – He will make the impossible-possible.
With God All Things Are Possible
17 And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”
7. Your journey may be a Testimony
God may use your journey, your test, your faith, your ability to “MOVE FORWARD” – to make Himself known to the same people who were trying to hold you back.
I want to end with a quote:
Everything you know is based on what has already happened in your life. And yet, your only influence right now is over things that have not yet happened. The things that have already happened have gotten you to where you are right now. What you need to be concerned with, is where to go from here.
I believe God wants us “Moving Forward”
