Moving Forward in Faith and Unity with God

Devotional

Day 1: Aligning with God's Purpose

Aligning ourselves with God's plan requires a conscious decision to unite with His purpose, even when it means embracing limitations. This unity is not just about agreement but about moving together as one body, empowered by the Spirit to make a significant impact in our community. When we harness ourselves to God's agenda, we are called to set aside personal ambitions and preferences, allowing His will to guide our steps. This alignment brings about a powerful synergy that enables us to achieve more together than we ever could alone. [09:00]

"For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,' that would not make it any less a part of the body." (1 Corinthians 12:14-15, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you align your personal goals with God's purpose for your community this week?

Day 2: Trusting God in Uncertainty

In times of uncertainty, maintaining a faith-filled attitude is crucial. The story of the Israelites in the wilderness serves as a reminder that God is always present, even when the path is unclear. Trusting that God is working all things together for our good allows us to face challenges with confidence. The enemy may attempt to sow doubt and fear, but our assurance lies in God's victory and faithfulness. By focusing on His promises, we can navigate uncertainty with hope and resilience. [17:39]

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of uncertainty in your life where you need to trust God more fully today?

Day 3: Persevering Through Opposition

The journey of faith is often met with opposition, but we are called to persevere. The enemy will always seek to hinder God's work, yet we are assured that the gates of hell shall not prevail against His church. Moving forward in faith requires courage and determination, knowing that God is with us every step of the way. As we face challenges, we must remember that our strength comes from Him, and His promises are our foundation. [25:16]

"Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you." (Deuteronomy 31:6, ESV)

Reflection: How can you actively rely on God's strength to overcome a specific challenge or opposition you are facing right now?

Day 4: Experiencing Breakthrough Through Obedience

Obedience to God leads to breakthrough and freedom. As we follow His lead, we experience His faithfulness in fulfilling His promises. Our journey is not about our strategies but about His power and grace. By keeping our eyes on Him and guarding our hearts, we position ourselves to receive the breakthroughs He has prepared for us. Obedience is the key to unlocking the fullness of God's blessings and experiencing the freedom He offers. [31:41]

"And Samuel said, 'Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.'" (1 Samuel 15:22, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to practice obedience to God, and how can you take a step towards that today?

Day 5: Embracing God's Prophetic Purpose

God has a prophetic word and purpose for each of our lives and for our church. He is committed to fulfilling His promises, and as we move forward, He will gain honor and demonstrate His power. Embracing this purpose requires us to seek His approval above all else, allowing His prophetic word to guide our actions and decisions. By aligning with His purpose, we become vessels through which His glory is revealed to the world. [27:23]

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11, ESV)

Reflection: How can you actively seek and embrace God's prophetic purpose for your life and your church this week?

Sermon Summary

In our journey of faith, we are reminded that God is always moving forward, and He calls us to move with Him. As we reflect on the story of the Israelites in Exodus 13 and 14, we see a powerful illustration of God's guidance and faithfulness. The Israelites, having left the bondage of Egypt, found themselves in the wilderness, a place of uncertainty and challenge. Yet, God was with them, leading them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. This divine guidance is a reminder that God is committed to leading us, even when the path is not clear.

We are called to harness ourselves to God's plan, moving forward in unity and obedience. This means aligning our agendas with His and being willing to embrace the restrictions that come with being harnessed to His purpose. Unity is crucial, as it allows us to move together as one body, empowered by the Spirit to make an impact in our community.

Despite the challenges and opposition we may face, we must not let uncertainty change our attitude. The enemy may try to bring us down, but we are assured of victory because God is with us. Our journey may be tough, but God is tougher, and He will see us through to the end. We are encouraged to keep moving forward, trusting in God's prophetic word and purpose for our lives and our church.

As we continue to move in obedience, we will experience breakthrough. God is faithful to fulfill His promises, and He will lead us to a place of total freedom and victory. Our salvation and success are not dependent on our strategies but on God's power and grace. Let us keep our eyes on Him, guarding our hearts and motivations, and seeking His approval above all else.

Key Takeaways

1. Harnessing to God's Plan: Aligning ourselves with God's plan requires unity and a willingness to embrace the restrictions of His agenda. This unity empowers us to move forward together, making a significant impact in our community. [09:00]
2. Facing Uncertainty with Faith: In times of uncertainty, we must maintain a faith-filled attitude, trusting that God is working all things together for our good. The enemy's attempts to bring us down are futile because God is victorious. [17:39]
3. Moving Forward Despite Opposition: The enemy will always oppose God's work, but we are called to keep moving forward in faith. God's promise is that the gates of hell shall not prevail against His church. [25:16]
4. Experiencing Breakthrough through Obedience: As we continue to obey God and follow His lead, we will experience breakthrough. God's faithfulness ensures that we will reach the place of total freedom He has prepared for us. [31:41]
5. God's Prophetic Purpose: God has a prophetic word and purpose for our lives and our church. He is committed to fulfilling His promises, and as we move forward, He will gain honor and demonstrate His power. [27:23]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[03:50] - God's Faithfulness in the Wilderness
[06:36] - Moving Forward in Unity
[09:00] - Harnessing to God's Plan
[11:14] - Journeying Through Challenges
[13:00] - Allowing God to Lead
[17:39] - Facing Uncertainty with Faith
[20:13] - Overcoming Opposition
[25:16] - Keep Moving Forward
[27:23] - God's Prophetic Purpose
[29:11] - Experiencing Breakthrough
[31:41] - Obedience and Breakthrough
[34:30] - Trusting God's Strategy
[37:11] - Serving with the Right Heart
[41:37] - Guarding Heart Motivation
[43:57] - Prayer and Anointing

Sermon Clips

One of the things that I have found, and I think that you believe too, God is not moving backward, God is moving forward, and he's taking his church with him, and the scripture says that the church will prevail. If God builds the church, the church will prevail. [00:01:14]

You know, sometimes we forget that. Sometimes we're so involved in doing things in the church, we think that we're the only people doing the building, but we need to remember God is building his church, and as we said in one of the other sessions, God's work done God's way gets God's success. [00:01:34]

And so, we need to believe that. We need to allow him to build his church, because when he builds his church, we will prevail. Everybody say, we will prevail. We will prevail. Do you believe that this morning? Yes. Hope you do, because the church will prevail. [00:01:54]

See, if we're going to move forward, God doesn't want us to move forward in our own agendas. God wants us to move forward together. So, it's very interesting because if you look at the background of the Hebrew of this phrase, ranks or harnessed, it can either be an agricultural thing where you're harnessing horses and that kind of thing, or it can be a military term of ranks of people who are marching together. [00:07:20]

And God is going to unfold the plan for moving ahead, one step at a time. He speaks to the leaders, and the leaders speak to the people. It's right there in your Bible. That's how God works. But we need to harness ourselves to the plan. What is the plan of God? Son of God. [00:09:11]

God wants to harness all of you who call this place home. To unite us. To harness us. Not to get off in a thousand different directions, but to harness us together in unity to make an impact in this town. Harness yourself to the plan. [00:10:39]

And in moving on, we don't move on just by our past experience. We move on together and move with God for the plan that is ahead. And not the one that is behind it. Can I hear an amen to that? Amen. Amen. It's important for us to grasp that. Harness yourself to the plan. [00:11:30]

But you sang it this morning. We believe. You sang it on the screen. We believe God is working all things together for good. Yeah. Amen. If we believe that, this is no time to panic. This is no time to be afraid. [00:18:09]

This is no time to say, oh, something that suddenly hit us out of the blue is going to be afraid. It's going to sink us. No, it's not. Because God is still moving you ahead and God is still working. And when you don't see it, he's still working. Amen. [00:18:31]

When anything goes wrong sometimes in a church, in some people's minds, it's always the leader's problem. Now, if we're being led by God and the leaders are following God sometimes God builds our character by leading us into difficult situations we don't like that but that doesn't make it any less true. [00:22:09]

And the Lord said to Moses Moses talking to God on behalf of these people who are freaking out the Lord said to Moses why are you crying to me I've already given you the command move forward get moving start moving he's already brought them out he's already leading them they've already experienced it this far but just because their eyes happen to see a Pharaoh. [00:24:34]

The enemy will always oppose what God is trying to do in any church, not just yours. Because the enemy is against the things of the kingdom. And we are kingdom people. So we need to keep moving despite the opposition. Don't keep crying. About things that keep being thrown at you. Keep moving forward in faith. [00:25:28]

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