Perhaps one of the most humiliating and discouraging experiences we could face is that of being denied upward mobility and advancement in the quest of life. To be held back, detained, put on hold as a result of our failure to apply ourselves and take seriously the task, challenge or opportunity given to us eats away at our self-esteem and worth as human personalities. For we creatures, who are of the human species, tend to value our worth by our achievements, accomplishments and acts which have advanced our status and social standing among our peers. The greater our progression up the ladder of upward mobility, the greater we tend to value our worth. We tend to equate Progress with Advancement.
But often times we flunk the test, fail to complete a task, take lightly opportunities of a life-time, fail to apply ourselves to courses of study; and as a consequence of which, we often are held back, detained, flunked, fired, put on probation, receive demerits, and are denied advancement. We can relate to the message of that card of the Monopoly Game which says: “Do not go pass Go; go straight to jail.”
How often in life have we experienced Not going past Go! In childhood we experience ‘Time-Out,’ because of our misbehavior; the revoking of TV, game-playing and after-school fun because we take lightly the privilege of responsibility. In our teenage years we are detained, held-back because we allow peer-pressure to minimize the importance of personal priorities; we spend time after school in detention as a result of our inattentiveness. As young adults we are detained, held back because we fail to take seriously that course of study in school that is designed to prepare us to be productive citizens. So we drift from meaningless job to dead-end job. In Middle Age, we flunk the constant tests of our character by yielding to temptation after temptation. And so by the time we reach the Golden years, we become wedded to some wilderness of wasted worth; vaulted by some valley of vanquished vision; detained in some ditch of defeated dreams. How often in life have we experienced Not Going Past Go!
And so, our Text becomes very relevant and reassuring at this point because it reminds us of the fact that THERE IS A GET OUT OF JAIL CARD! The context of verses 1-4 constructs the premise that Israel had been held back for 40 years in Wilderness Detention as a result of their failure to take God seriously. Time after time after time they flunked tests, turned down promotions, failed to seize the moment of opportunity simply because of a lack of total trust in the sufficiency and sovereignty of the Awesome God whom had redeemed them. And so, in verse 2, Moses reminds us that an 11 day journey was extended into a 40 year hiatus. From Mount Horeb or Sinai to Canaan’s fair and happy land was only an 11 day journey; but because of their disobedience, an 11 day journey was extended to 40 years of wandering.
How true to life is that fact. For often-times 11 day journeys are extended into 40 year wanderings. What should have been accomplished in a short time takes years to achieve; which seems to suggest that we tend to find ways to complicate a simple process by our non-compliance. We have this uncanny knack of turning the simple into complexity; the short into long; the easy into difficult; the right into wrong, the obvious into uncertainty.
For often-times in our journey traveling, a trip becomes a trap; a journey becomes a judgment; a tour becomes a test; a travel becomes a travail; an outing becomes an ordeal. Too often A JOURNEY BECOMES A JAM. We become caught in traffic jams of our own making; hemmed in, stalled, detained, kept back, held back, impeded; blocked. Much too often we are caught in TRAFFIC JAMS OF OUR OWN MAKING! And so, a trip or a ride that should have taken us only 30 minutes becomes an hour long ordeal. 11 Day Journeys Become 40 Year Wanderings!
And what is true of us individually and personally also is applicable to a Church. Much too often churches get Caught in Traffic Jams of their own making. For what they should have become or accomplished awhile back is yet out of reach because of their non-compliance with the order of God. And so, an 11 Day Journey Becomes A 40 Year Judgment! They become stalled, hemmed in, detained, kept back, held back, impeded, blocked!!! Zeal for God zeros; love of truth languishes; hunger for souls dissipates; perfect praise turns into pity-parties. Strife, bickering over small things; majoring on minors while the minors become majors; settling for mediocrity and valley living all take center stage when a Church Becomes Caught in a Traffic Jams of its own making.
When a church is not On the Move in Righteousness, Stagnation, Decay, Disease, Lethargy, In-House Fighting and Routine will replace being A PRINCIPLED PEOPLE POWERED BY PURPOSE. And just as individuals become tired of the routine and ordinary, depressed by the thought of what could have been, so does a local church. We become sick and tired of being sick and tired and we long to be ON THE MOVE AGAIN.
And so, Our Text remind us again that THERE IS A GET OUT OF JAIL CARD!!! Listen to the directive of the Lord thru the lips of Moses in verses 5 and 6a again: “You have dwelt long enough in this mount: Turn you, and take your journey….”
Perhaps the salient truth of this text is that it is telling us that THE LORD HAS HAD ENOUGH!!! It reminds me of a song we used to sing. The words are:
“When the Lord gets ready, You Got To Move!”
Perhaps, its not so much about us having had enough as it is of the Lord having had enough. Perhaps He’s had enough of us settling for mediocrity and valley living when there are mountaintop experiences beckoning us from the distance. Perhaps He’s had enough of our pity-parties and complaints because He desires to live in our praise. Perhaps He’s had enough of our total lack of witnessing to the lost of His awesome ability to save to uttermost from the gutter-most. Perhaps He’s had enough of us living Spirit-less-filled lives while claiming we love the Lord!!!
Perhaps the Lord is sick and tired of being sick and tired of us, and for His own Name’s sake, He says: “Turn you, and take your journey…!”
When Popeye the Sailor Man becomes fed up with the foolishness of a person, his famed cry is: “I done took all I can stands and I can stands no more!” Then he reaches into his bosom for the ‘Spinach Thing.’ And you know then that ‘It’s On!’ Well, the Lord has taken all He can stand from us and He can stands no more; and so, its time now for that “Spinach Thing!”
He inspirits His leader; He feeds him with the spinach of His Word and Might. And Moses says: ‘Enough Is Enough! Get Up. Turn, and take Your Journey!!
And so, I have had a taste of that ‘Spinach Thing’ from the Lord; and I have been appointed and anointed to tell you that WHEN THE LORD GET READY, YOU GOT TO MOVE! AND THE LORD HAS HAD ENOUGH; AND SO, WE’VE GOT TO MOVE!!! “TURN YOU, AND TAKE YOUR JOURNEY, AND GO TO THE MOUNT!
GO TO THE MOUNT! New Zion, we have an Appointment with God in the Mountain of Transfigurational Experiences! Changes in our Spirits, Souls and Bodies await us in the Mountain. Greater visions of who Jesus the Christ really is, is there in this Mountain. Holy Highs, Goose-Bump Experiences, Hair-Raising, Spirit-Liberating, Hallelujah Times await us in the Mountain. LET’S GO TO THE MOUNTAINTOP TO MEET OUR GOD! Haven’t you had enough of lifeless, dry, boring worshipping experiences in both your private and our public gatherings. Well then, LET’S GO TO THE MOUNTAIN!!! We need to see Just Jesus! Not our problems, our worries, our cares, our bills, our sicknesses, our enemies. We Need to See JUST JESUS! For Only A Look at Jesus will Transform our Wilderness into a Way and our Desert into Delight.
We need to Go Upward in Personal Praise; Private Prayer, Personal Proclamation of who Jesus Is. WE NEED A MOUNTAINTOP EXPERIENCE.
Then we need TO COME DOWN TO VALLEY VICTORIES!! Let me remind us that there are No Valley Victories without Mountaintop Encounters! We must go up to the Mountain in Praise, Praise and Worship if we are to experience Victories in these Valleys!
Yes, there are Valley Victories!!! We encounter depression, discouragement, disappointment, heartache, heart-break, loveless people, difficult demons, disconnect notices, terminations, breakups, breakdowns and desolation. But THERE ARE VICTORIES IN THIS VALLEY. You can’t live a defeated life in the Valley when you have been to the Mountaintop to Worship God. There are Valley Victories!
The apostle Paul put our Valley Victories in these words: “We are troubled on every side, Yet Not distressed; we are perplexed, Yet Not in despair; Persecuted, But Not forsaken; cast down, But Not destroyed.” You see after you have spent some time with God on the Mountaintop, you come down to the Valley with this “YET NOT AND BUT NOT” Language.
Valley Victories are Won when we Go To Hell!!! Let’s Go To Hell!!! Souls need to be delivered from the power of sin, Satan and Self; so, Let’s Go To Hell.
Make a Difference in the Valley where you live. Bring someone out of Hell. Turn you, and take your journey and go to the Valley Places.
Not only must we Go To The Mountain and to the Valley but Thirdly,
WE MUST GO TO WAR!!! For there are some enemies of the Cross, some Canaanites who must be defeated. We must go forward to battle!
I Think I need to remind us here that a Saint is the Best Dressed Creature on this earth. We have been furnished with a complete wardrobe. For on the Mountaintop of Worship, we wear the Garment of Praise. But when we come down to the Valley, we change into the Garb of Humility. For Victory comes when we are weak. But when it comes time to take the Battlefield, we take off the Garment of Humility and Put on the Whole Armor of God. Which all underscores the fact that we saints are the Best Dressed Creatures on this earth.
We know How to Match and Accessorize! We Match our Moods with the Mercy of God. We Accessorize our Attitudes with the Awesome Ability of the Lord. For we have learned that in whatever Mood we are in, God Has a Corresponding Favor. So we Match our Misery with God’s Mercy. We Match our Need with God’s Supply. We Match our Praise with God’s Power. We know how to Match, Model and Accessorize. For we are learning that in whatsoever state we are in, therein to be Content. We have Contentment Clothes.
But then again, when its War Time, we change into our Fighting Clothes. Sometimes, we are Dressed To Kill! We fight against principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world and against spiritual wickedness in high places. We are Dressed To Kill!!
Look at you. You stand with your loins girt about with truth and have on the breastplate of righteousness.
Look at you. You stand with your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel
of peace. I see the helmet of salvation on your head, the sword of the Spirit in your hand and the shield of faith protecting your body.
You are Dressed To Kill.
And at all times you are in a posture of prayer and a stance of watching. You are Dressed To Kill.
We are a Mighty Army of God. So, Let’s Go Onward To Battle. I’m putting the Trumpet to my Lips and sounding the War Charge:
“Onward, Christians soldiers, Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus Going on before!
Christ, the royal Master, Leads against the foe;
Forward into battle, See His banner go!
“Like a mighty army Moves the church of God;
Brothers, we are treading Where the saints have trod;
We are not divided; All one body we,
One in hope and doctrine, One in charity.
“Onward, Christian soldiers, Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus, Going on before!”
We cannot stand back and sing:
“The church of God is marching, but I shall not be moved.”
Because, “WHEN THE LORD GETS READY, YOU GOT TO MOVE!” And I’m convinced that the LORD IS READY. HE HAS HAD ENOUGH!!!
And when God Has Had Enough of Something, it Comes To and End!!!
Our Carelessness has come to an End! Our Foolishness has come to an End! Our Lack of Witnessing has come to an End! Our Robbing God with Our Tithes and Offerings has come to an End! Our Lifeless Praise has come to an End!
GOD SAYS TURN OR BURN! TAKE OR LOSE! GO OR BE LEFT BEHIND! YOU HAVE STAYED LONG ENOUGH AT THIS MOUNTAIN. TURN AND TAKE YOUR JOURNEY AND GO IN AND POSSESS THE LAND.
ARE YOU READY TO TURN? ARE YOU READY TO TAKE YOUR JOURNEY? ARE YOU READY TO START MOVING AGAIN IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION?
ARE YOU READY FOR MOUNTAINTOP EXPERIENCES, VALLEY VICTORIES AND BATTLEFIELD ENCOUNTERS? WELL THEN, TURN YOU, TAKE YOUR JOURNEY, GO TO THE MOUNT, GO TO THE VALLEY, GO TO THE BATTLEFIELD AND GO IN AND POSSESS YOUR INHERITANCE!!!
LET’S MOVE NEW ZION. GOD IS ON THE MOVE. LET’S GET ON THE MOVE WITH GOD!!!
