Stepping Where I See

Eric Barton

taking ground • Sermon • Submitted a year ago

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Intro

Happy New Years.

How awesome that we get to begin a new year by worshipping and committing it to God.

Who stayed up and brought in the new year?

Who quit trying?

CONNECTION CARDS

Some great new years quotes:

You know how I always dread the whole year? Well this time I’m only going to dread one day at a time.

-Charlie Brown

He who breaks a resolution is a weakling; he who makes one is a fool

-E.M. Knowles

Don’t live the same year 75 times and call it a life

-Robin Sharma

A new Year a New you!

Who does the resolution thing?

I think it great. We need to have more goals.

Encouraging stat, 80% of all resolutions fail by February...

the greatest age group to make resolutions is 18-34.

Still young enough to be hopeful.

In a survey, when asked why they think their resolutions failed, here are the answers:

Unrealistic Resolutions.

Too Many Resolutions.

Forgot their resolutions.

What if this year we determine some things are going to be different, but its rooted in something much deeper, Have a greater WHY!

I resolve that I will step into all that God has for me.

We are starting a new series through January I’m calling Taking Ground.

I believe that we can see this as more than just a new number on a calendar, but this can be an opportunity to be new ground that we step into.

We’re going to look at the beginning of the book of Joshua.

summary:

the Israelite people had been help as slaves in under the Egyptians for hundreds of years.

God raised up Moses and miraculously free the entire nation. upwards of 2 million people!

They left Egypt and set out toward a land that god promised would be theirs, all they had to do was trust him and take it.

Between This land and Egypt was a wilderness area.

they spent 2 years in this wilderness learning to trust God, learning who god was, being taught how to follow him.

Then God brought them to a place where they could go in and take the ground that was rightfully theirs.

they sent 12 spies to go in and check out the land and come back to report.

after 40 days they came back.

Number 13:25-29

At the end of forty days they returned from exploring the land. They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.”

Number 13:30

Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”

Everyone was scared and wanted to turn back to Eqypt to slavery!! Even wanted to stone Moses.

Only 2 spies believed they could take it.

Number 14:6-8

Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us.”

They walked away and God punished them by making them wander in the wilderness for another 38 years until an entire generation of unbelievers died off.

What Kind of generation will we be?

The last 2 years feels eerily similar.

Coming out of covid still feels like a fog.

the last 2 years has been described as a blur… you feel that way?

Sounds like a wilderness.

It’s a season that we can look back and learn from God, grow in what he wanted to teach us, get prepared to move forward

that’s what it was meant to be for the Israelites.

Could’ve been traveled in 11 Days, but he took them the long way to grow them!!

James 1:2-4

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

God isn’t interested in just getting you out, he’s wanting to grow you in!

God provided for them (hasn’t he done the same for you!)

God protected them.

God showed himself to them.

Taught them (mount Sinai)

But most of the people spent their time complaining instead of growing...

So they couldn’t see God when it came time to move.

I think we are at an important moment, we will either move into the places God is preparing for you or we will continue to circle the same thing for the rest of our lives.

all 12 spies saw the same thing.

10 were in Fear.

2 were inspired.

Outlook determines Outcome, Every time.

They spent the rest of their lives circling aimlessly in the wilderness, not be cause they had to, but because they chose to.

They chose to see that what was before them was bigger than the God that was with them.

Faith isn’t denying the at the giants exist, it’s just saying the giants don’t stand a chance if they are in the way of what God says!!

This is where the rubber meets the road of our faith.

What will you see?

I’m not saying put on rose colored glasses, but it’s time we wipe off our faith lenses.

If everything is negative, you’re not trusting God!

If you’re your always complaining, you can’t be seeing what God is doing.

I will choose to see God at work.

If God is for me, who can be against!!

Has the negative consumed your thoughts or God??

Because outlook will determine outcome, every time!

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

You won’t walk in what you don’t see.

They chose an inferior existence because it was the more comfortable choice.

It may not have been great, but at least I know what I’m getting.

We have to stop being afraid to step boldly into the unknown if God is in it.

Get out of your comfort, it’ll destroy your future.

Your outlook has influence.

Your outlook, whether negative or positive, will inspire others.

the 10 negative derailed the entire nation from entering when they were supposed to.

You’ve heard it said, I don’t know what the future hold but I know who holds the future.

What if we really believed that and walked it out and began to live it.

WE could inspire an entire generation.

Come on, what if your outlook in God could set on fire a whole generation after you.

If the next generation sees your faith, will they be inspires because of you or find God in spite of you.

Let’s determine that we will take new ground, not just continue to move around.

Spend time reflecting. (difference is reflection, reflect on God’s goodness, stop and see where he’s worked)

Spend time dreaming. (What has God promised you, where does God have for you to step into)

Spend time repenting. (not a negative)

Spend time speaking. (speak out in faith over your life)

Proverbs 18:21

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

CONCLUSION

Will we circle around or take new ground.

it’s more than a cliche resolution, it’s stepping into purpose.

Stepping out of excuses.

Choosing hard over easy.

there is a land God has promised, it’s time we step in.

Three men were hiking through a forest when they came upon a large, raging, violent river. Needing to get to the other side, the first man prayed, “God, please give me the strength to cross the river.” Poof! God gave him big arms and strong legs. He was able to swim across in about two hours, having almost drowned twice.

After witnessing that, the second man prayed, “God, please give me strength and the tools to cross the river.” Poof! God gave him a rowboat, strong arms, and strong legs. He was able to row across in about an hour after almost capsizing once.

Seeing what happened to the first two men, the third man prayed, “God, please give me the strength, the tools and the intelligence to cross this river.” Poof! He was turned into a woman. She checked the map, hiked one hundred yards up stream and walked across the bridge.

When you look into 2023 I don’t know what you see, but together let’s see God!