This sermon, entitled, "Don't Turn Back to Egypt" was preached at Mount Zion Fellowship in Jerusalem, Israel on Saturday morning, April, 26, 2003. The picture is of myself and Sister Paracleta, a nun from Nigeria who lived in Jerusalem. She was a big part of our fellowship during that time. We were sitting by the place of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
Sermon notes:
Don't Turn Back to Egypt
I Corinthians 10:1-14
Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and [how] I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. Exodus 19:4
God brought the children of Israel our of Egypt by mighty signs and wonders.
Had they went through the land of the Philistines, they could have been in the Promised Land in lest than a week.
And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the go, that God led them not [through] the way of the land of the Philistines, although that [was] near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt: Exodus 13:17
But god took them the way of the wilderness lest they see war and turn back to Egypt.
Sometimes God takes us through the wilderness, and doesn't show us what's up the road, lest we see the battle and turn back.
He uses our circumstances to mold us to fit His purposes in our life:
Joseph down in the dungeon for three years
Moses on the backside of the desert for forty years.
Gideon, hiding down in the winepress from the Midianites in preparation.
David down in the pasture being trained by the Spirit of God to reign.
Jesus tested in the wilderness
Can't we trust the leading of the Holy Ghost?
God brought the Israelites out of Egypt in a short time, but it took Him 40 years to get Egypt out of the people.
God brought us out of sin, but sometimes He works overtime to get sin out of us.
He brought us out of man's traditions, but it's more difficult to get that mentality out of us.
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing]; and I will receive you. II Corinthians 6:17
Remembering Egypt
The older generation had to die out. They remembered Egypt to well.
The only thing the older generation could ever think about was the leaks, the garlic, and the cucumbers.
They didn't remember the taskmasters whip across their backs. They couldn't remember the mud pits they stomped in day after day, after day.
Fasting is not sitting around thinking about food.
God was willing to wipe out every last one of them and raise up Moses' family, but he interceded for the nation and so...
The younger generation couldn't remember Egypt, so God chose them.
There was not one feeble one among them, so there carcases must have just fallen by the wayside.
Joshua and Caleb had another spirit. Not a spirit of turning back, but one of moving forward.
Murmuring and Complaining
Joshua and Caleb didn't have that spirit of complaining.
Some people are never happy with what God gives them.
The waves of the Red Sea hadn't even settled from drowning the Egyptians before the people were already complaining.
“Moses, why did YOU bring us out of the wilderness to die? Would to God we had died in Egypt.”
They complained about the waters. They complained about the food. They complained about the quail. They complained about Moses. They complained about everything and with many of them God was not well pleased.
Joshua and Caleb weren't the only ones under the cloud. Moses wasn't the only one eating the manna. Aaron wasn't the only one eating quail.
They all ate the same spiritual food and drank from the same Rock that followed them through the wilderness.
...for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Matthew 5:45
Always Looking Back
When Moses went up into Sinair, Dathan began to stir up the people. He begin to sow seeds of discord that Moses wasn't coming back.
He even convince the Holy Priest of God to make a golden calf to lead them back to Egypt.
They were constantly looking back.
People who aren't really filled with the baptism of the Holy Ghost will look for any excuse to go back to Egypt.
Follow the Fire
The children of Israel had to learn to follow the fire.
If the fire moved on South, then the children of Israel had to take up there tents and possessions and move South.
If the Fire settled at the base of the mountain, then the people set up camp there.
We can't get ahead of God. We have to learn to follow the Fire.
There were probably times that some of the people resented the Pillar of Fire, because they had grown tired of wandering and didn't want to back up and move on.
Keep following the Fire.
Follow the Example
Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should lust after evil things, as they also lusted. I Corinthians 10:6
“Mistakes were made to be learned from, not repeated.”
God allows us to make mistakes so that we will learn from them and move on, but not repeated them.
Zimri committed whoredom with a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and Phineas was zealous for God and killed him with a javelin.
Not only did he commit fornication, but he was brassy about it.
People often get that brassy spirit on them that they're going to do what they want to do, no matter who sees them.
And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not? Exodus 17:7
After all the signs and wonders God had shown them, they still wondered if God was with them or not.
It's time to come out of our comfort zones.
Once you've left Egypt, allow God to take Egypt out of you.
No matter how rough the road, “Don't turn back to Egypt.”
No comments:
Post a Comment