“Onward Forward” by Dr. Cleveland Houser 30 May 2026

Isaiah speaks a word that refuses to stare in the rearview mirror. “Do not remember the former things… behold, I will do a new thing.” God steps in as the One who makes roads where there are no roads and pours rivers into deserts that have never held water. The text leans forward. It does not let the church camp out in yesterday’s griefs or glories. It names a miracle that “shall spring forth,” the kind that starts before anyone can timestamp when it began, because God has already been at work behind the scenes.

Moses stands as the living case study of that new thing. Pharaoh flexes, babies are drowned, but providence floats in a pitch-lined basket and parks at Pharaoh’s bath. A mother’s catechism runs twelve years deep, and the Prince of Egypt hears another drum. The desert becomes God’s university, where a buff soldier gets a doctorate in humiliationcology and shepherdology. At the bush on Horeb, the God of the tree that burns and is not consumed speaks, not like the snake in Eden, but as the I AM who is holy, truthful, compassionate. Then a stick becomes an ordination certificate. Power gets lodged in obedience. The gift in the hand becomes the means to go onward and forward.

The Exodus opens like a theater. Jesus covers the people in a cloud by day and fire by night. A circuitous route proves God is a wise general, not a poor one. When panic rises and complaints pile up, heaven moves behind the camp, and the word is simple: stop bellyaching, stretch out the rod. Worry is suicide on the installment plan, but faith takes the next step. The sea splits broad and deep, glassed walls become aquariums, and the church walks through safety with a side of wonder. Wheels fall off chariots that chase what God has claimed.

Isaiah’s charge keeps pressing. Past victories cannot sustain a present calling. Always-did-it-ism corrals vision. The Holy Ghost runs a spiritual incinerator for baggage the church keeps dragging, because the same way a life goes down is the way it comes up. In Christ, a new creation refuses to let yesterday define identity or destiny. Wilderness seasons lack landmarks, but God cuts a highway through confusion. So the call stands: onward, forward. Not just through seas and deserts, but all the way to that last great Forward when the censer drops, the skies fill with angels, the dead rise, the living are caught up, and every traveler touches Sabbath before stepping through the gates. Until then, the church fixes its eyes on Jesus and keeps moving.

Key Takeaways

• 1. God is doing a new thing [01:56:23] God refuses to let yesterday have the last word. The road He lays down in a trackless place and the river He pours into dust signal that grace is creative, not repetitive. Miracles often start before anyone notices, then spring into view when hope is almost spent. Faith watches for what only God can surface, right on time. [116:23]
• 2. Use the stick God gave [02:17:19] The rod in Moses’ hand was not decoration; it was delegated power. Calling always comes with equipment, and potential wasted is deliverance delayed. The gift in the hand becomes the path under the feet when obedience puts it to work. Forward movement often waits on the courage to use what God already entrusted. [137:19]
• 3. Stop living in yesterday’s Egypt [02:30:34] Former things make terrible landlords when they hold the lease on the soul. The Holy Ghost runs a furnace hot enough to burn baggage, but the church must leave it on the altar, not reload it in the parking lot. Identity in Christ displaces old scripts that shame and condemn. Memory can be a teacher, not a prison guard. [150:34]
• 4. Forward faith beats paralyzing fear [02:25:56] When fear turns prayer into panic, God still says, rise and stretch out the rod. Divine protection often stands where complaint used to stand, and the fight belongs to the Lord long before strategy is clear. Worry kills by inches, but trust steps into dry ground with walls of water singing on both sides. Faith is motion in the right direction. [145:56]
• 5. Fix hope on the final forward [02:41:05] History is headed toward a shout of “Onward, forward” that gathers saints from graves and fields. The silence of heaven will be the sound of rescue on the move, and the journey home will pass through Sabbath before the gates swing wide. Eschatology is not escape; it is fuel to live faithful and fearless now. Today’s steps rehearse tomorrow’s welcome. [161:05]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [109:08] - Choir and greetings
• [115:21] - Prayer for the Word
• [115:40] - Isaiah 43 read
• [116:23] - Behold, a new thing
• [119:09] - Roads in wilderness, rivers
• [122:46] - Baby Moses preserved
• [134:30] - Burning bush calling
• [136:55] - The stick and its power
• [139:49] - Midnight, blood, and exodus
• [145:56] - Stretch out the rod
• [148:32] - Forget the former things
• [153:21] - Wilderness without direction
• [161:05] - Final onward forward
• [167:28] - Invitation and prayer

1. What does God command His people not to focus on in Isaiah 43:18, and what does He promise instead?
2. How does Moses’ journey from Egypt to Midian illustrate God’s ability to “do a new thing” even in desolate places? [02:11:16]
3. What specific actions did God instruct Moses to take with his rod during the Exodus, and what happened as a result? [02:25:56]
4. According to the sermon, why did God lead the Israelites through a wilderness route instead of a shorter path? [02:21:28]

1. Why might God emphasize forgetting “former things” in Isaiah 43:18? How could clinging to the past hinder His work in the present?
2. The sermon describes the wilderness as a place with “no recognizable boundaries” and “direction.” How does this relate to seasons of confusion or uncertainty in our lives? [02:33:21]
3. What does the rod symbolize in Moses’ story, and why is obedience critical to activating its power? [02:17:19]
4. How does the imagery of “rivers in the desert” challenge our assumptions about where God’s provision can appear?

1. What “former things” (hurts, habits, or victories) are you tempted to dwell on that might distract you from God’s new work? What practical step could you take to release them?
2. The rod in Moses’ hand represented his God-given authority. What gifts, skills, or opportunities has God placed in your life that you’ve hesitated to use? How could you step forward in obedience this week? [02:17:19]
3. When facing a “wilderness” situation (confusion, fear, or stagnation), what would it look like to trust God’s unseen “road” or “river” instead of relying on your own understanding? [02:25:56]
4. The sermon warns against “always-did-it-ism.” Are there areas where tradition or comfort are stifling your willingness to embrace God’s new direction? How can you cultivate openness? [02:29:11]
5. How might fixing your hope on the “final forward” (Christ’s return) change the way you approach daily challenges or relationships? [02:41:05]
6. What “baggage” (shame, grudges, regrets) have you been carrying that the Holy Spirit is inviting you to leave at His “spiritual incinerator” today? [02:30:34]
7. In what practical way can you encourage someone this week who feels stuck in their own “Egypt” (past failures or present struggles)?