Scripture: Exodus 33:15 “And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.”
Today we celebrate another year of God’s faithfulness to this church. Every brick, every chair, every prayer prayed in this sanctuary is a testimony that God has been with you.
May I tell you that anniversaries are not just about looking back at what has been done, but also looking ahead at what God will do.
And the truth is this: all our labor, all our singing, all our building, all our plans, mean nothing if God is not with us.
Moses understood this.
Because he knew that Israel was about to move forward toward the Promised Land, but God said, “I’ll send an angel before you, but I will not go with you.”
And Moses responded, “Lord, if Your presence doesn’t go with us, please don’t move us from this place. In other words what he was. Saying is, Lord what ever that you are doing in this season, Don’t do it without me!”
My 1st point is that Moses understood the priority of His presence
Moses recognized that nothing was more important than God’s presence.
Moses realized the greatest need was to remain in God’s presence.
Moses knew that the promised land meant nothing without the Presence of the Promiser keeper.
Moses understood that victory, blessings, and even destiny were empty unless God’s presence went with him.
Moses understood something we must never forget.
We can’t build without Him.
We can’t worship without Him.
We can’t sing without Him.
And certainly we can’t preach without Him.
When I looked at the text I noticed that Moses wasn’t after milk and honey, he wanted God Himself.
Moses wasn’t chasing blessings, or the bling bling, he was chasing the Blesser.
Moses wasn’t satisfied with the promise of the land, he longed for the presence of the Lord.
In other words, Moses was saying, the promises are good, but the promises means nothing if the Presence isn’t there.
Here is the Application: This church has survived storms, the trials, the tribulations, and some changes through the years, but it was not because of talents, it was not because of the money, not because of buildings, not because of the deacons, the trustees or even the preachers, but it been because God’s presence has been here.
74 years, 74 years you all have been on the wall.
74 years you have had some ups and downs.
74 years you have seen some come, and some go. But the reason that you have made it thus far is because the presence of the Lord was here.
Allow me to show you the Proof of His Presence, when I heard the history, I knew it was nothing but the Lord that kept you.
Because:
When God is in the house—sinners are convicted.
When God is in the house—the broken are healed.
When God is in the house—chains are loosed.
When God is in the house—love flows, joy overflows, and peace rests.
This is a why your theme says, this is your season to move forward.
Moses knew that he needed the Lord, is there anybody else in the house that know that you need the Lord?
Look at the next thing that Moses did. Mose pleaded for His presence
Notice the humility in Moses’ prayer: he says “Don’t send us if You won’t go with us.”
Moses recognized his limitations.
He understood that no matter how great the assignment was, without God’s presence he was powerless. It wasn’t about his skill, leadership, or strategy—it was about God walking with him.
Moses refused to move without God.
He didn’t want success apart from God. He didn’t want the land without the LandLord. He didn’t want the blessing without the Blesser.
And I don’t know about you, but I’d rather be in the wilderness with God than in the promised land without Him.
Anniversary celebrations are wonderful, but they are not the destination. They are only reminders for us to stop and say: God, we’ve come this far by faith, because of You, and we don’t want to take another step without You.
And this should to be the heart of every ministry in the building:
Lord, don’t let me usher without You.
Don’t let me preach without You.
Don’t allow me sing without You.
Don’t let me pray without You.
I don’t want lead without You.
Don’t let me live another day without You.
Lord if your presence is not in it—we don’t want it.
There was once a famous tightrope walker named Charles Blondin.
It is said that He stretched a rope across Niagara Falls and walked across it before a huge crowd. The people cheered as he went across, then he came back.
Then he asked, Do you believe I can push a wheelbarrow across? The crowd shouted, Yes, we believe! So, He pushed the wheelbarrow across and back.
Then he asked, Do you believe I could carry a man in this wheelbarrow across? The crowd yelled even louder, Yes, we believe!
Then Blondin pointed at one man and said, Alright, sir, get in.
The man stepped back and said, Not me.” I’m not getting in there.
The difference between saying we believe and truly trusting is getting in the wheelbarrow.
Moses was saying to God, I’m not moving without You. I’m not stepping out unless You’re in the wheelbarrow with me.
As we celebrate this anniversary, we ought to let this be our cry:
Lord, don’t let us build without You.
Don’t let us plan without You.
Don’t let us sing, preach, or serve without You.
Because without You, we are nothing—but with Him, all things are possible.
So today, lift your hands and declare:
Lord, whatever You do in this season—Don’t do it without me!
We know we can’t do it without You, that why one Friday we need you.
We could not die on our own, so, death and grave had a Conversation. Death said, if you bring me Jesus I’ll hold him down.
Well, they crucified my Savior, and they crucified our Lord.
That Friday death wasn’t feeling satisfied and he asked grave do you still have Jesus, and he said yes I still have Jesus like I said I would.
Saturday roll around and death asked do you still have Jesus, and grave said yes I still have Jesus like I said I would.
I still have the old prophets, I still have the new prophets, I still have Jesus.
I still have the major prophets, I still have the minor prophets, and I still have Jesus.
I still have Obadiah, I still have Jeremiah, I still have Malacha, Zachariah, Zephaniah, I still have Jesus.
But I heard that death called grave one more time, and asked mannnnn do you still got Jesus.
And grave said man I had a good grip on him but I have something to tell you.
Yes I know that Friday they crucified him by lunch, he died before dinner, but I’ve he got to tell you that up before breakfast.
Early this morning, and since he got, I’ve got to tell you Greater Pine Hill that, living him loved me. Dying he saved me bury he carry my sins far away, rising, He justified freely forever
One day He's coming glorious day.
