(I Shared this message during Central Bible College Chapel Service, Oct. 8, 2004)
Brethren, Did you know that the number one problem of the Christian churches in the Philippines today is contentment? Being contented in your life according to Apostle Paul is good but when it comes to church growth, contentment is not a good reason.
The result of nationwide statistical survey conducted by Dr. Baby Ruth Santos-Hablo for the evangelical churches in the Philippines, the average church membership during their regular worship services attendance is ranging only from 50 to 80 believers. The real reason according to her is not the limitation of the growth expansion of churches but the contentment of church workers in maintaining this average number of attendance. Leaders are not focusing their attention in evangelization but by maintaining their regular programs as it is. (The Church Growth of Philippine Missionary Fellowship)
Tozer said that if most churches were asked, “What is the worst enemy the church faces today?” most would come up with the wrong answer. He says that many would say that the worst enemy of the church is liberalism.
Tozer goes on to say that, “The treacherous enemy facing the church of Jesus Christ today is the dictatorship of the routine, when the routine becomes ‘lord’ in the life of the church. Programs are organized and the prevailing conditions are accepted as normal.
This is what had happen to the Israelites. In our passage this morning, the Israelites have taken an 11 day journey from Egypt to the Promised Land and it turned it into a 40 year experience in the desert. Normally it takes only 11 days to travel from Mt. Sinai to Kadesh-barnea. Kadesh-barnea was the threshold of promise. It was the desert entry point to the promised land. It was the place from where they sent the 12 spies to spy out the land. They had been held back and detained by God Himself. But one day, God said to them, you have stayed too long in this place. It is time to move out and move forward.
And I know that this phrase will also speaks to us right now. Maybe we have stayed too long for our ministry and God wanted us to move in other direction or advance into a better one.
[This statement was spoken because God wanted them:]
I. TO WITHSTAND THE CHALLENGES OF LIFE (vs.1-6)
[Why?] If we observe, there are many hindrances for the Israelites to withstand the challenges of life. And one of the greatest hindrances for them to move on is the:
A. Tendency to live for the past.
The past, both the good and the bad tend to keep us stuck in the present. If we have failed in the past then we may allow the past to tell us that we can or cannot be. We allow the past to destroy what God has for us in the present. But later on God will tell us also: "You have stayed too long in this place.”
Num. 13 – Their forefathers explored the Canaan but fail to enter with it because of lack of faith, instead they had been held back and detained by God Himself. Until now, they never forget it.
We are special beings in that God has given us the ability to remember. Your memory may be your friend or your enemy. Negative things or positive!
Most of the times we dwell upon the negative and begin to feel sorry for ourselves. Some leaders do not want to lead because of their previous failures. They do not want their failures to happen again. While others do not try because of the failures they see from others.
But not only the negative things, even some very pleasant things hinders us to move on …
-Israelites in the wilderness (Numbers 14:3b-4)
“Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt? And they said to each other, we should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” [Because Egypt is a good place to live on]
You see, those things can cripple us & hold us in bondage to the past.
So what shall we do to our past?
Let’s consult Apostle Paul for this particular problem.
In Phil. 3:13, Paul said, "I forget about what lies behind and reaching forward to those thins which are ahead."
So, the first things you should do according to Apostle Paul is to-
1. Forget the past
Illustration 1
In a Nike advertisement some years ago, a voice came over the television saying, "I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." Those words were spoken by Michael Jordan, by most standards the greatest basketball player ever to play the game.
Illustration 2
President Abraham Lincoln
Was defeated for the state legislature in Illinois in 1832
He was defeated for Vice presidential ticket in 1856
He was defeated for Congress in 1843
He was defeated again for the Senate in 1858
He was defeated for Congress again in 1848
He became president in 1860 and lives on history as one
He was defeated for the Senate in 1855 of the GREATEST PRESIDENTS IN UNITED STATES.
Paul had a lot that was behind him. Paul had a very bad past.
He persecuted the church. He used his authority to kill Christians. By his own admission he said, "I am chief of sinners." He could have walked around all his life with this tremendous burden of guilt crippling him & he would never have become the great apostle we know & love today.
But Paul said, "…forgetting what is behind…"
2. Start all over again
After forgetting the past in your minds, start all over again!
Illustration 3
Theodore Roosevelt said, "The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything."
Illustration 4
Thomas Edison’s famous laboratories in New Jersey, were heavily damaged by fire one night in December, 1914. Edison lost almost $1 million worth of equipment and the record of much of his work. The next morning, walking about the charred embers of his hopes and dreams, the 67-year-old inventor said: "There is value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Now we can start anew."
Forget the past then start all over again!
3. Then, expect the best for your life.
Expecting the best means, don’t look anymore to the negative areas of you life. Always be positive!
The Israelites are pessimist, when the spies saw the people in Canaan they afraid of their size. They said: “people living there are too strong, we seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes!
Job also was sometimes a pessimist, and in Job 3:25, he says, "Everything I fear and dread comes true."
Paul on the other hand, was an optimist. In Phil. 1:20, he says, "I live in eager expectation while I’m going through all these trials." He was an optimist. He could be cheerful even when life couldn’t be perfect.
Illustration 5
Do you know that Mohammed Ali only lost two fights in his lifetime? And both of these fights had one thing in common different from all the other fights: in a press conference prior to the fight, he said, "Now, if I lose this fight..." It’s the only time he ever said it, and he lost them both.
David went out to fight Goliath and he took stones with him. Super confidence! Everybody else was saying, "He’s too big! We can’t kill him." David was saying, "He’s too big. I can’t miss!"
Matthew 9:29 said: "According to you faith, it will be done to you."
Expecting the best means looking for the positive areas of your life! Don’t focus on the negative!
[Another greatest hindrance for the Israelites to move on is the]
B. Concern to live for their Comfort.
For eleven months Israel had camped and lived at the foot of Mt. Sinai (Horeb). Eleven months had allowed the people to settle into a life of ease. They had grown accustomed to their surrounding and life was good.
In Amos 6:4-6 the prophet speaks to the nation of Israel, a nation that has become at ease and really had no intention of being otherwise. He took them to task for being at ease in Zion. In verse four he says, “Who lie on beds of ivory, Stretch out on your couches, Eat lambs from the flock And calves from the midst of the stall; (5) Who sing idly to the sound of stringed instruments, And invent for yourselves musical instruments like David; (6) Who drink wine from bowls, And anoint yourselves with the best ointments, But are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.” [sarap ng buhay] that’s why for just a little problem thinking to go back again to Egypt….
If that is true of Israel how much more true in our life and ministry today. We follow the Lord only if there are sure and enough support. We don’t want to live by faith. We want to make it sure that there are foods in our hands to eat.
Illustration 6
As World War II was drawing to a close, the Allied armies gathered up many hungry orphans. They were placed in camps where they were well-fed. Despite excellent care, they slept poorly. They seemed nervous and afraid. Finally, a psychologist came up with the solution. Each child was given a piece of bread to hold after he was put to bed. This particular piece of bread was just to be held—not eaten. The piece of bread produced wonderful results. The children went to bed knowing instinctively they would have food to eat the next day. That guarantee gave the children a restful and contented sleep.
[First, God wanted them to WITHSTAND the CHALLENGES OF LIFE, then He wanted them)
II. TO STAND WITH THE PROMISES OF LIFE(vs. 7-8)
[How?] God encourage them to:
A. Make a bold step of faith (v.7)
Deut. 1:6-7. “You have stayed at this mountain long enough. It is time to break camp and move on…”
1. Look at this phrase: Break the camp and move(v.7)
Why did God wanted to destroy their camp before leaving the place? They can bring them to the Promised Land or leave them in good structures that the travelers will benefit for it. Why? Because God wanted them to make a bold step of faith.
Illustration 7
Julius Caesar, is one of the greatest commander of western history
When Julius Caesar landed on the shores of Britain with his Roman legions, he took a bold and decision step to ensure the success of his military venture. Ordering his men to march to the edge of the cliffs of Dover, he commanded them to look down at the water below. To their amazement, they saw every ship in which they had crossed the channel engulfed in flames. Caesar had deliberately cut off any possibility of retreat. Now his soldiers were unable to return but to advance and conquer!
God has said, “break the camp and move on...” If you have been a Christian any length of time, you should be prepared for battle. You should be ready for service in His Kingdom.
You know, before, God didn’t ask that way. God simply commanded them to go in or move on. But because of their untoward attitude and tendency to back out for faithlessness like before, God wanted to make it sure of their obedience. Now, even in the NT Christians, the same things are the words of Jesus: “Anyone who come after me and look back is not fit to become my disciple.”
Church workers today are like Israelites, changeable minds. They will commit today and gone tomorrow. Konting problema lang aatras agad!
Let’s make a bold step of faith to obey God once and for all!
[Next,God challenged them to]
B. Make a strong hold of a promise(v.8)[To claim the promises of God]
“See, I’m giving this land to you; go in and possess the land which I promised to give you….”
This land is given to the Israelites long time ago but until now, we can’t see any progress. We don’t see them working and doing anything to possess it. They became comfortable to their present situation.
Most people never take advantage of God’s abundant resources because of faithlessness.
Eph. 3:20 in the Amplified Version says, "God is able to do superabundantly, far over and above, all that we dare ask or think. Infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thought, hopes, or dreams."
We never tap into the tremendous resources that God has made available to us.
But I know some are already blessed by God [car,palit-palit; damit,palit-palit; wag lang asawa (joke)]
The Law of Expectations says that, basically, we get what we expect out of life. We tend to see what we expect to see, we tend to feel what we expect to feel, we tend to act the way we expect to act, and eventually, we tend to achieve what we expect to achieve.
VIP - Very Inspiring Poeple (associate with them)
VDP - Very Draining People (Don’t associate with them)
You see, like the Israelites are to “go in and possess the land.” Claim His abundant promises for us!
Like them, God is moving us – God is moving us to possess the ministry he had given us long time ago. He wanted us to actively participate in the Church where He placed us as: pastor, preacher, teacher, youth worker, etc.
God is calling us to possess the land. Make a strong hold of what the Lord has prepared for us.
As Paul said I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Phil.3:14)
A King is coming, so whatever you do, no matter how insignificant you might think the task is, do it as unto the Lord, and He will bless you for it.
Conclusion
Illustration 8
George W. Truett was one of the greatest preachers in Christian history. Yet in the closing months of his life he suffered beyond measure that took his life in 1944. Though in his condition he had sought to resign his pastorate of the First Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas, the church refuse to permit it. That 47-year relationship was dissolve only in death.
Not long before Dr. Truett’s death, arrangements were made for him to preach his last sermon to the congregation by telephone from bed. As the people listened over loudspeakers placed in the church auditorium, not one word of complaint over his moutht did they hear. The repeated refrain was “Be true to Christ. Be true to your calling.”
Yes, my dear fellow-workers in the Lord, God requires us to be true to Him and our calling.
Do not stay too long in this place, let’s move on, advance and —possess the Land!
GOD BLESS!
****************SERMON**STRUCTURE**********************
“You Have Stayed Too Long in This Place”
Deuteronomy 1:6
This statement was spoken to them because He wanted them:
I. TO WITHSTAND THE CHALLENGES OF LIFE (vs.1-6)
There are many hindrances for the Israelites to face the challenges of life. They are:
A. Tendency to live with the past.
So what shall we do to our past?
1. Forget the past
2. Start all over again
3. Then, expect the best for your life.
B. Concern to live for their Comfort.
II. TO STAND WITH THE PROMISES OF LIFE (vs. 7-8)
[How?] God encouraged them to:
A. Make a bold step of faith (v.7)
Look at this phrase: Break the camp and move (v.7)
B. Make a strong hold of a promise (v. 8) [To claim the promises of God]
"possess the land which I promised to give you….” (V.8)
The Law of Expectations says that, basically, we get what we expect out of life. We tend to see what we expect to see, we tend to feel what we expect to feel, we tend to act the way we expect to act, and eventually, we tend to achieve what we expect to achieve.
