Title: Keep Moving Forward

Introduction:

The Christian life is a journey, a race, and a battle. We must not forget that we are in a spiritual warfare and that we cannot afford to sleep. A sleeping believer is powerless and poses no threat to the devil.

1 Thessalonians 5:5-9 (NIV):

"You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Main Content:

The DNA of God is always moving forward. There is no reverse in God's nature. Throughout the Bible, we see God's constant forward motion. He desires more, greater, higher, deeper, passion, drive, reaching, stretching, pressing, hunger, and thirst. These words reflect God's attitude towards the Christian life.

One scripture that encapsulates this sentiment is Exodus 14:15 when the Lord said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on." This is the message I believe the Spirit of the Lord is speaking to us today: "Tell the people to go forward."

In our current state, many in the church feel like the Israelites did that day when Moses spoke those words to them. They were physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. They were disappointed and felt trapped. Similarly, many believers today feel drained, empty, tired, and sleepy.

In John Bunyan's classic book "Pilgrim's Progress," one of the greatest threats to the pilgrim and his companion Hopeful on their journey was the temptation to sleep. The enemy uses weariness to make us want to lay down and surrender to a spirit of slumber. But we must resist this urge.

We need cheerleaders in our lives, even when we don't feel like hearing them. We need to hear the message: "Wake up, O sleepy heads! Your journey is not over. There are still giants to be slain."

Joshua 13:1 reminds us that there is much land, much spiritual territory, that belongs to the children of God. However, the enemy has taken hold of it like a squatter. It's time for us to evict the enemy and reclaim what rightfully belongs to us.

In 2 Kings 4:24, a woman saddled an ass and said to her servant, "Drive and go forward; do not slacken the pace for me unless I tell you." This is a word for the church today: Drive, go forward, and don't slacken unless instructed otherwise.

Ezekiel 1:12 describes how the Spirit of God moved forward, and those who followed Him did the same. We must get up and get moving, for we are not yet home. We cannot afford to fall into a spirit of slumber.

The Christian life is not for the faint-hearted. It requires boldness, fearlessness, and aggression. Matthew 11:12 states that the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. We must press forward forcefully, crowding ourselves into God's promises.

Isaac's life in Genesis 26:13 teaches us that he became great by moving forward. Forward motion is not accidental; it requires intention, effort, and unwavering determination.

The Holy Spirit is ready to empower us, but He waits for us to take the first step. We must do our part, and then He will do the supernatural. Faith without works is dead, as James 2:20 reminds us.

Sometimes, it takes a lot of faith just to keep moving. We must resist the urge to give in to weariness and slumber. The Israelites' deliverance at the Red Sea came because they kept moving, even when they didn't feel like it.

We must inform the devil that we are not defeated. Though we may have been knocked down, we still have breath, praise, and weapons to fight with. Every prayer, testimony, hallelujah, scripture, and act of faith fights against the forces of darkness.

Conclusion:

David Brainerd, a missionary to the Amazon Indians, accomplished great things for God even from his deathbed. He kept praying, worshiping, writing letters, and fighting the good fight of faith until the angels carried him home. We must follow his example and keep moving forward.

In this season of greasy grace and lazy faith, we need to rekindle a fiery, mountain-moving faith. Let us not sit around waiting for opportunities but push forward and seize them.

The secret ingredient of faith is push. The master key to the Christian life is faith. We must keep moving, even when it's challenging. Our journey is not over; there are still higher mountains to climb, wider rivers to cross, and greater victories to achieve.

Let us remember that the Christian life is a continuous forward motion. It's time to wake up, get busy, and keep moving. This is no time for sleeping.

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father, help us to keep moving forward in our Christian walk. Give us the strength and determination to resist weariness and slumber. Empower us with your Holy Spirit to press on and claim the territory that belongs to us. May we never settle but always strive for more of you. In Jesus' name, amen.

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