Sunday Sermon by Pastor Rajesh Mathew on 25th July, 2021

Number 33: 2-3-2 At the LORD’s command Moses recorded the stages in their journey. This is their journey by stages: 3 The Israelites set out from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month,the day after the Passover. They marched out defiantly in full view of all the Egyptians,

They went our defiantly or with boldness as some other versions say.

Keep moving, keep going forward, keep walking! If you are unable to move forward, that means you are stuck. However, God’s desire for you is not for you to be Mr or Mrs Stucky! But for you to move forward.

The Holy Spirit will pull you out from the situations and conditions that you are stuck in and steer you forward, this morning.

God doesn’t want you to be stuck. God told Moses to mark out the starting point. From the places that the Israelites were stuck in, and before they set out moving form there, God commanded Moses to mark the place so that they would know how far they have come, where they are on the journey and how much longer they have to go.

We are going to step into the 8th month of 2021 asap. God got us started in January in this year, but some of you are feeling that you have not gotten anywhere, you are feeling stuck. That is because you haven’t made of note of where you started.

The day you got saved was a starting point, the day you received the anointing, the day you stepped out for ministry, these are all starting points. The day you were married, the day you had your children are starting points too. When you look back at these starting points, you will realize that you are actually not stuck but God has been moving you somewhere.

God brought the Israelites out through the great exodus.

In this 8th month, God has kept, for His church, a great move forward. You will move forward in ways you never imagined.

Egypt is the shadow of the world. We can say that the promised Land is the representation of the heavens. Or it also reveals the fulfilment of God’s promise in this life here on earth. Some of us, even though we have been brought out to step into Israel, we still have our eyes on Egypt; we are thinking of our friends who sat with us in class, the ones we played football with, etc!

When you keep looking to the past, we cannot experience the future that God has kept for us.

Look ahead, look to the Lord and He will thrust you into the prophecies that He has made over your life.

You need to have MOVEMENT, both emotionally and spiritually.

• Many want to stay in the past experiences. They have become comfortable there. Never settle anywhere!
• The Israelites have been referred to as pilgrims, strangers, always passing through places. You are Hebrew and may you feel like you are never quite settled anywhere.
• Many be God wants you to realise that He has a heavenly city kept for you and that you are a stranger here on earth.

FIVE ASPECTS

1. WRITE DOWN THE STARTING POINTS OF YOUR LIFE

• Write down where you started out. When you do so, you can measure how far have you come from point A to point B, you can measure it! That’s when you can thank the Lord and be grateful to Him.

May be much has not happened but a lot has happened.

• The Israelites left from Rameses, Succoth. Then they went forward from there. They had to reach the Promised Land.
• When you travel in planes you will have no idea which way you are going, but when you are driving in a car, there are landmarks on the way and you know how you are progressing.

The starting points are landmarks.

• If you have a conviction that God has brought you forward, thank Him! If you have an anointing, thank Him, if you have a calling, thank Him! If you have a child and are married, thank Him! If you bought a piece of Land, thank Him! If you started building your house (though it is still incomplete), thank Him!

2. THEY WENT FORWARD IN THE MIDST OF THEIR ENEMIES

You have to keep moving even when you know there are enemies around.

Some of them were attacked on the way. Egyptians had to bury their dead children on the way. Some were upset, angry, frustrated, in a bad mood. In the midst of that, the Israelites moved forward.

You cannot make everybody happy and move forward.

If you have to access God’s promise, you need to move forward! You can’t be tied up in one place.

Don’t be intimidated by your enemy. Learn to make progress even when no one is clapping for you, still go forward! No one round you is appreciating you, still move forward. You feel as if you don’t have it all together but still go forward!

• There may be people who wish you were just dead, in the midst of that just move forward. Pharoah was angry and all his commanders were angry. All their first-borns were dead. • Some of you are waiting for everybody to approve you. When I stepped out, nobody approved of it. When I first started ministering, nobody clapped for me. But I decided to move forward. This morning, look unto the face of Jesus and decide in your heart that I will move forward. The Holy Spirit will take you forward.

You should never die where you were born.

Many people hate you because they are stuck themselves.

• Your movement will annoy people who don’t like you. However, many people are held back from moving forward because they worry about people’s reactions. It doesn’t matter. It is your destiny you have to learn to get on and move on with your life.
• True that you might make mistakes on your way but that’s alright. It will be your mistake and not your parents’ mistakes. You might start a business and make some mistakes. Its alright; if you call unto the Lord and seek His face, he will help you.
• In the midst of the Egyptians they went out with boldness because they knew that God was protecting them and watching over them. If God has brought you to the 7th month of this year, God will continue to protect you. You will continue to move forward in the midst of your enemies.
• If God has helped you thus far, God will help you in future too!
• When you move forward, remember this- people will hate you, people will still be angry with you. Don’t try to change their hearts and mindsets. People who hate you will hate you with passion!

If there are no enemies, there is no table!

3. YOU WILL FACE THE RED SEA IN YOUR JOURNEY

Number 33:8-8 They left Pi Hahiroth[a]and passed through the sea into the desert, and when they had traveled for three days in the Desert of Etham, they camped at Marah.

• They passed through the midst of the sea.
• In your journeys, remember that you will need to face your red seas. People who have gone before you through that way may have been stuck there and some may have turned back looking at the sea. Do not think that you will also meet the same fate or have the same experience.

Red sea is the end of many people’s journey. However, you will be the first to cross.

• Maybe you are the only one to get a degree in your family. May be nobody in your family built their own home. You perhaps are the first to buy a car, maybe you are the first to serve Christ in your family. Declare that I won’t stop where others were stopped.
• Everybody has their personal red sea. That signifies the blocks they face before reaching their goal. Everybody faces it. But, only those who have a relationship with God will be able to go through this.
• Your red sea may be your mother in law, a block and a hinderance! Whatever it is, make sure you will pass through depending on GOD.
• There was something that Moses had to help him pass through the red sea. There was a rod in his hand. We tend to go back when we face troubles on our journey. At these times, look to what the Lord has given in your hand. May be a word of faith, may be prayer.
• You will all come to your red sea. May be within your families. The starting point may have been fantastic. Your honey moon may have been in Paris, now you are only in the kitchen. On your marital journey, you were faced with a red sea, may be a financial struggle, a health issue or may be some other attack. Don’t turn back then. Use your rod, extend it, take refuge in God and speak words of faith and go through!

When you get to the red sea, do not let go of your faith.

Consistent prayer life is important when you are faced with the red sea. Every day in prayer for your marriage, your children, a health issues--that is the only sure shot way to victory.

In Acts 3 we see that in the 9th hour, Peter and John were on their way to the temple. A lame man sat at the Beautiful Gate. If it were us, we would have waited to finish the prayer meeting and then raised him up. They raised him up on their way for prayer, then you could imagine their level after a prayer meet!

• Prayer was their lifestyle, they moved from one prayer to the other, one period of fasting to another! 21 days of fasting followed by another season of fasting, that is what reflects their thirst! 9th hour- 9 is symbolic of fruitfulness. That means that fruitfulness is within prayer.

What prayer brings, prayer will keep. What you get in prayer is maintained in prayer. Whatever is the red sea you are facing, take victory over it through prayer & fasting.

James 5:17- 17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.

• We see here that Elijah prayed earnestly for it not to rain.
• In 1 Kings 18, we see that he really battled in prayer for rain to come. Elijah placed the 12 stones, built an altar, placed a sacrifice, poured water on it, knelt down, prayed, cried, tried seven times sending someone each time to check for clouds. That is what is earnest prayer. Some of us feel great just by bending your knees once. What were these men of God made of?!

You should never lose your spiritual intensity or velocity!

• One of the disciples of Christ told me that they prayed non-stop for 36 hours! There is a special anointing that resides only in prayer. It is not your natural abilities or capability.God’s capability working through you, is revealed in prayer.

Acts 16:31- Paul and Silas prayed and the foundations were shaken and all doors were opened!

Not just one door but many doors will be opened when you pray. Financial blessing, fruitfulness, marital blessings, healing, and deliverances.

• Whether there is a negative report or disease, pray, that disease will have to end. That cancer has to leave your life. If you pray, you will have the power to make a way where there is no way. Because you have a destiny to fulfil in God.

God will never send you on an impossible errand.

If you are faced with a red sea, you should know that the one who called you is faithful. Declare that MY GOD IS FAITHFUL! Don’t go back to Pharaoh. You have made a lot of progress, don’t go back.

Praying time is not wasted time.

There is a season where all doors are going to be opened up for you! Your prayer and worship will open it up for you. YOUR prayer and not someone else’s prayer.

Don’t live life casually. There has to be a zeal.

• You don’t have to fake anything in the kingdom of God. There is no fakeness in what is being said and done in church. These are not fairy tales. This is the Living word of the Living Son of God. Even if heavens and earth pass away, His Word will still remain.
• Open your heart to the Lord, bend your knees before Him. Look unto Him and He will make your face shine. He will make a way in the wilderness.

On the way add prayer to prayer

The Holy Spirit is saying to someone. You need to decide. God is going to open incredible doors in the places you were stuck

• It is frightening to go forward. The water is rising up high on both sides like walls. You need courage, faith to cross through the red sea. That cancer is standing high over you. You are afraid whether it will come back. NO, it won’t come back. NO! it won’t come back!
• You will go forward. In the red sea, the waters stood like walls, they did not recede but the Israelites still passed over. Keep walking. In the Jordan the waters receded but the red sea will have its waves standing high but You gotta keep moving!

4. EVEN WHEN YOU WALK FORWARD, THERE IS MARA (BITTER) WATERS • It might be a break up, a bitter loss, a bitter treatment by someone. It is a bitter spot, a painful place in your life that brings bitterness/ sadness to you. That place doesn’t automatically become sweet waters.

• In Exodus 3, Moses was asked to cast a tree’s branch into bitter waters.
• Youhave to make it sweet. The chemical combination of the bitter waters needs to be changed, you need to cut that branch and place it into the waters.
• In your journey, if you are to move forward, you should learn to turn those bitter areas into sweet areas. You can’t be sitting there with a long face and pained. You need to go to the Lord and say, “Lord, I am so disturbed and pained. Lord, help me to make these bitter waters sweet. Help me to let go, to heal, to forgive”
• If you do what you need to do to make those bitter waters sweet, miracles will happen. God will show you what to do. You won’t quit there.

Mara is not a place to stop. It is a place to continue. If you have to continue, you have to

If you keep harboring that resentment and bitterness inside, your progress is stopped. Don’t allow that bitterness to checkmate you. FORGIVE!

Make lemon into lemonade; Make betrayal into a blessing; Making a set back into a stepping stone.

Mara is not forever!

• I will forgive! I have the grace to forgive through Jesus. A lot of people get stuck at Mara. People tell me, “pastor, I trusted her, but she left me. I carried my children for 9 months but they betrayed me, my business partner left me!” You can change the bitterness into sweetness. FORGIVE. A lot of healing happens when you forgive.
• The Israelites stepped out of Egypt very hopeful but the wilderness was awaiting them. They encountered the bitter waters.
• He is a faithful God. He will help you. But the Israelites had this quality- they would keep complaining. Do not complain God expects you to move on. Forgive, love and move on. From Mara, they reached ELIM.

Numbers 33:9- They left Marah and went to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there.

God has kept an Elim to refresh you. The Holy Spirit is saying that God will bring a special spiritual refreshment for some people in August. Those of you who have bene through bitter experiences for most part of this year, await this from the Lord.

God is taking you into Elim. August is the month of refreshing. Elim had 70 palm trees and 12 springs to be refresh, strengthen and quench your thirst. That is the Elim experience.

Elim is a place of goodness. It is a place of refueling!

I went to the US and I was on a long travel with a few others. We stopped at a fuel pump and we sat there at the restaurant, sat with our feet up, refreshed ourselves. We relaxed. Some of use slept on an easy chair. We still had a journey forward. But that was so refreshing!

We have a journey ahead. There are spiritual experiences that can refresh you spiritually!

When you think, you are done and tired, God reminds us, “No child, the journey is not over. You have to move on. You need to keep walking till Jesus returns. You need to keep walking till everything that he has promised over your life and purposes are all realized and fulfilled”. May a grace to do that descend upon you.

5. YOU NEED TO DRINK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

There are five ways to drink:

1. Tasters- They are like the wine tasters. Just a sip to taste.
2. Light drinkers- They have a peg or two. Just limited. Not getting drunk.
3. Heavy drinkers- they need a minimum of 3 -4 larges
4. Drunkards- These are ones who are drinking all the time and have no control over what they do or say. Only the normal people will run if they see a mad person. The ones who are mad will stand unafraid. Only a madder man can make slightly mad man run!
5. Drunk- These wake up to drink and are full of the drink

• The word says the disciples were drunk in the Spirit. Early they would start drinking! We drink early morning and at night too, we are drunk in the Holy Spirit. Abundant drinking!

Elim is being continuously filled with the Holy Spirit

• God sent forth a double portion to Elisha. When Elijah heard the still small voice of God, he was asked to get up and anoint two kings. One of them was Jehu. But Jehu had to wait for 4 years to gte that Holy Ghost filling. Elijah did not anoint him but Elisha carried that oil and anointed him 14 years after the prophecy. Jehu was filled with the Spirit. He was mad!
• Jezebel was a mad woman but there was still madder Jehu who went after her and had her thrown down the palace window.
• This morning there may be situations that are driving you crazy, but there is an anointing that will make you crazier still! May the Holy ghost fill you with that anointing!

Worship the Lord! Get into that anointing. Don’t be casual. You will become a causality.

Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Stand before God courageously, not because of your goodness but stand every day, getting drunk in the Holy Spirit. 12 springs are awaiting you. May you move into that level of Grace and anointing to fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

• A man of God said when he saw me: The Holy Spirit says HE likes being with you. He can trust you. That reignited me. The only thing I desire is to be a temple that carries the presence of the Holy Spirit.
• Some of you need to surrender to the Holy Spirit. Many believers have a different trinity- Father, Son and the Holy Scriptures. But it is the Father Son and the Holy Spirit. The author is bigger than the Book. The scripture is written by the Holy Spirit.
• May the Holy Spirit descend upon. May I be sensitive, friendly and receptive to you, Holy Spirit. Reside in me, abide in me, fellowship with me, I want to keep walking and keep moving, I want to go forward in the name of Jesus.