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Prayer
Hymn: Isaiah 51:11
Memory Verse: Isaiah 51:11 Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come
with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they
shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.
Lesson: Don’t stop short of the Promised Land to live in:
Pastor remarks and intro of first principle
First Principle: Don’t stop
short of the Promised Land to live in fear or frustration.
Scripture Reference: Numbers 13:32 And they gave the children of Israel a bad
report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we
have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and
all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature.
Fear
wants to freeze us in our tracks.
Sometimes
our enemies seem more powerful than us.
Following
fear filled leaders will frustrate the will of God.
Fear
is a poor manager of life’s decisions.
Question: What are some
enemies people commonly fear?
Follow Up Question: What are some
things we can do to avoid letting fear dictate our decisions?
Conclusion: Courage is not the
absence of fear but rather how we move forward in the face of our reasons to
fear. When we choose to do God’s will, fear can sometimes attempt to make us
stop short of God’s promise. When God wants us to stop, it feels different than
fear. Fear should not be the dominant reason for the decisions we make in life.
Pastor remarks and intro of second principle
Second Principle: Don’t stop short of the Promised Land to live in comfort or
compromise.
Scripture Reference: Numbers 14:4 So they said to one another, “Let us select a
leader and return to Egypt.”
Of
course the children of Israel were more comfortable in Egypt than they were in
the wilderness.
Sometimes
we must go through something we don’t want to get to something we do want.
The
path to the Promised Land is not always easy.
Fear
filled leadership bred frustration and gave the people an opportunity to
compromise their walk and choose comfort over courage.
Question: What does the word
compromise mean to you?
Follow Up Question: Do you imagine it
could ever be God’s will for you to be uncomfortable?
Conclusion: Our comfort may not
always be the most important thing to God. When His purpose requires an
uncomfortable journey, we should embrace our opportunity to deny ourselves,
take up our cross, and follow Him.
Pastor remarks and intro of third principle
Third Principle: Don’t stop short of the Promised Land to live in criticism or
complaint.
Scripture Reference:
Numbers 14:2 And all the children of Israel complained against Moses
and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the
land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness!”
God
chooses leaders who are bold, courageous, and confident.
A
godly leader does not draw their confidence from their own abilities but rather
from the conviction that they are called by God.
Godly
leadership is not moved by fear or frustration, comfort or compromise, and
neither do they give credence to criticism or complaint.
Leaders
are called to follow the orders of the one who called them.
If
leaders are chosen by the people, then they must of right, lead according to
the people’s wishes.
However,
if leaders have received a higher calling, they cannot afford to be driven by
poles or popularity.
Question: Describe some
qualities every higher called leader should possess.
Follow Up Question: What are some ways
we can discern if we are following a God ordained leader?
Conclusion: Stubbornness does
not equal the confident boldness which comes from knowing you are doing God’s
will. When God speaks it sounds different than fear, frustration, comfort,
compromise, criticism, or complaint. Every person is called by God to lead in
some point of life, even if it is only over our personal decisions. Don’t stop
short of the Promised Land because of yourself or others who try to influence
you.
Pastor closing remarks
·
Connect Cards;
Offering and Prayer
·
Memory Verse
·
Pre-Praise &
Worship Prayer
will be hosted in the Sanctuary Studio. Worship will begin in just a few
minutes.
