Title: God Is Walking The Land
Text: Exodus 8:22-23; Psalm 33:12
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Introduction:
- In our text this morning we see God walking the land.
- A land where the Jewish people where in slavery for 400 years and being badly mistreated.
- A land where there was poverty for God’s people and wealth for rebellious people.
- A land where there was idol worship and false gods.
- Where the one true God was not honored by the people of the land.
- A land where there was murder and death to the innocent.
- It was a horrible time for God’s people, but yet in spite of all this our text says, “But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live, no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the Lord, am in this land.”
- God was in the land walking in the midst of such cruelty.
- And God is walking in our land today, in the midst of such rebellion, greed and wickedness. There’s hope this morning.
- We may not see God, we may think that God has left Canada or North America but He hasn’t and is still walking among us
- I am going to give you 3 reasons why God didn’t leave the land of Egypt and why God hasn’t left our land.
Point 1: To Make His Presence Known Again
Psalm 65:4 says, “Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house of your holy temple.”
- Our greatest joy is to be near God and to enjoy communion with Him.
- This is now possible for all believers through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit.
- The Bible encourages us to draw near to God always, so that we can receive strength to help us in our times of need.
- Who has a need this morning? Who of you know someone who has a need?
- True joy and contentment are found in God’s presence and continually desiring to be in God’s presence.
- It is a great tragedy when Christians treat lightly coming into the presence of God.
- Perhaps that’s why some Christians today are weak and having a hard time in there walk with God.
- Being in the presence of God will strengthen you in your time of need. But it will also be your source of joy.
Recently while going through an airport during one of his many trips, President Bush encountered a man with silver hair, wearing a white robe and sandals, holding a staff.
President Bush went up to the man and said, "Aren’t you Moses?"
The man never answered but just kept staring ahead.
Again the President said, "Moses!" in a loud voice.
The man just kept staring ahead, never answering the president.
Soon a secret service agent came along and President Bush grabbed him and said, "Doesn’t this man look like Moses to you?"
The secret service agent agreed with the President.
"Well," said the President, "Every time I say his name, he just keeps staring ahead and refuses to speak. Watch!"
Again, the President yelled, "Moses!" and again the man stared ahead.
The secret service man went up to the man in the white robe and whispered, "You look just like Moses. Are you Moses?"
The man leaned over and whispered, "Yes, I am Moses. But the last time I talked to a bush, I spent 40 years wandering in the desert!"
- So as Christians we know what joy there is with being in God’s presence.
- And I am sure that Moses new true joy in God’s presence even when he was going through difficult times.
- And as for us when we begin to worship God and get into His presence, there are times His presence will be so strong that it comforts us no matter what we are going through.
Point 2: To Bring Healing To The Nations
Ish 1:18 says, “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”
- Our nation needs a Spiritual healing, where people come to know the Lord as there personal Savior.
- Our country also needs, Physical and Emotional healing.
- For our nation is full of epidemics like aids, cancer, heart disease etc.
- And Dr. Phil gives us examples everyday of people who need emotional healing.
- We see that there is no shortage of needs when we look around.
- But out of all these needs, the one that I find most important is our spiritual need in society. Meaning acceptance of God and living for Him.
- The whole world is full of violence and corruption and there is no sense of right or wrong anymore.
- Society is so busy trying to kick God out and rule the land without Him.
- The result of doing that is corruption and violence to it’s fullest.
- Churches need healing. There is so much hurt in the pews from the past.
- People being offended by the Pastor, or board member, or just people in the church.
- Hurts that have never been dealt with that Christians are carrying.
- Families are hurting. Financially couples are spending more then they make to try to keep up to the Jones.
- There’s the pressure to have everything by the time you are 30 when it’s taken a life time for couples to achieve material possessions.
- Couples aren’t happy with each other and there is a frustration that is not being dealt with and the end result is divorce that has gone off the chart.
- Let me give you this story to illustrate:
While on a road trip, an elderly couple stopped at a roadside restaurant for lunch. After finishing their meal, they left the restaurant and resumed their trip.
When leaving, the elderly woman unknowingly left her glasses on the table, and she didn’t miss them until after they had been driving for about twenty minutes.
By then, to add to the aggravation, they had to travel quite a distance before they could find a place to turn around in order to return to the restaurant to retrieve her glasses. All the way back, the elderly husband became the classic grouchy old man. He fussed and complained and scolded his wife relentlessly during the entire return drive. The more he chided her, the more agitated he became.
He just wouldn’t let up one minute. To her relief, they finally arrived at the restaurant. As the woman got out of the car and hurried inside to retrieve her glasses, the old geezer yelled to her,
"While you’re in there, you might as well get my hat."
- What’s the answer? Understanding, teaching, fellowship with other people. But most importantly having a healthy relationship with God.
- God is walking our nation looking to restore peoples lives.
- I like what Joel 2:25 says, “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten.”
- It’s never too late to start with God, even as Christians, it’s never to late to forgive one another, or couples to come together and let the Lord rule your hearts and lives.
- God promises to heal your situation because God is still walking the land and healing like He did 2000 years ago. Just reach out and touch the Lord and He passes by.
- Try it His way and live for Him in your marriage, family, church and your own personal life.
Point 3: Because Of Righteous People
- A nation might not recognize His presence among them, or might not be reaching out to God for healing, but in spite of all that He still tries to bless people, why?
- Because of righteous people.
- Many stories in the Bible of how one person who took a stand made a difference.
- People like Ester, Nehemiah, Hezekiah, Joseph, Paul etc.
- A nation could be doing everything in it’s power to kick God out of society, yet because of one righteous man or woman, God keeps blessing and moving by His Spirit.
- I am reminded of this story that I am sure we have all heard but it bears repeating.
- It says,
This Pastor has guts!! A prayer given in Kansas at the opening session of their Senate. It seems prayer still upsets some people. When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but this is what they heard:
"Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, ’Woe to those who call evil good,’ but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We confess that we have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and call it Pluralism.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem.
We have abused power and called it politics.
We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free.
Amen!"
The response was immediate. A number of legislators walked out during the prayer in protest..
In 6 short weeks, Central Christian Church, where Rev. Wright is pastor, logged more than 5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls responding negatively.
The church is now receiving international requests for copies of this prayer from India, Africa and Korea.
Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, "The Rest of the Story," and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired.
With the Lord’s help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called "one nation under God."
- This shows that God can still use you to make an impact.
- When God gives you the opportunity we need to take it and use it for His glory. Whatever that opportunity may be.
- God walks the land, because of righteous people who are willing to take a stand and wait for those opportunities.
- People who are not ashamed of the gospel and are willing to be used of God no matter who makes fun of them, or walk out in protest.
- We can all agree that we live in a rough nation that is becoming more and more anti God, but we also live in a blessed nation, where God is still walking the land, using people like you and me as Ambassadors for Him.
Conclusion:
- Let the Holy Spirit guide you in life.
- Maybe you are here this morning, and it’s been a long time since you sensed God’s presence.
- You’ve been going through a dry time in your walk with God
- Or maybe you’re here and you need healing in your body, mind or spirit.
- You can’t let go of the past, and it hinders your walk with God.
- You have been hurt by former people that have come and gone in your life and it’s bothering you. Today God wants to help you overcome your past.
- Many people have had to overcome there past. I leave you with this pharse:
The next time you feel like GOD can’t use you, just remember...
Noah was a drunk
Abraham was too old
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Leah was ugly
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stuttering problem
Gideon was afraid
Sampson had long hair and was a womanizer
Rahab was a prostitute
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
David had an affair and was a murderer
Elijah was suicidal
Isaiah preached naked
Jonah ran from God
Ruth was a widow
Job went bankrupt
John the Baptist ate bugs
Peter denied Christ
The Disciples fell asleep while praying
Martha worried about everything
The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once
Zaccheus was too small
Paul was too religious
Timothy had an ulcer...AND
Lazarus was dead!
..! .no more excuses now. God can use you to your full potential.
Besides you aren’t the message, you are just the messenger
- If you are striving to live by Gods standards, you are a righteous man or woman.
- God still walks the land wanting to use you to bring glory to His name.
- It’s time to believe in yourself, and trust that God will never steer you wrong.
- It’s time because we are out of time.
Lets Pray!!!
