GOING INTO THE NEW YEAR WITH GOD – PART ONE

GOING INTO THE NEW YEAR WITH GOD – PART ONE

 

Friends, I welcome you to this broadcast, today; and more than that, I want to welcome you into the new year. And the title of our discussion today is: Going into the New Year With God.

Going into the New Year with God

And our text will be taken from the Book of Exodus 14 – the whole chapter. But, as we go along we will read those portions that are relevant to our discussion.

Let us pray.

PRAYER

Father, we want to thank You for leading us through 2016: for leading us through the past year. We thank You for leading us into the New Year; and we are going into it with our eyes on You, trusting that You will lead us through…in Jesus’ Name. Amen!

God is restoring Israel to its rightful place as the prince of God; for that is the meaning of Israel. He’s restoring Israel as His prince, and not the slave of Egypt. This restoration was by God’s powerful hand – the demonstration of His awesome power. Pharaoh and his government begged Israel to leave when they could no longer stand the power of God.

In Exodus 12:31-33

Exodus 12:31

 

31 Then he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, “Rise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the Lord as you have said

Previously, Pharaoh wanted it to be as he Pharaoh has said. Now he is submitting to the power of God, and he said, as you Moses has said.

Ex 12:32-33

32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said [as you have said – again], and be gone; and bless me also.”

Did you hear that, friend?

 

33 And the Egyptians urged the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste. For they said, “We shall all be dead.”

This explains the boldness with which Israel went out of Egypt.

In Exodus 14:8b,

Ex 12:32-36

32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also.”

 

33 And the Egyptians urged the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste. For they said, “We shall all be dead.”

 

Exodus 14:8

And the children of Israel went out with boldness.

In Numbers 33:3,

Numbers 33:3b

on the day after the Passover the children of Israel went out with boldness in the sight of all the Egyptians.

In Hebrews 11:27,

Heb 11:27-28

28 By faith he [that is, Moses] forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured at seeing Him who is invisible.

When God leads you, you will have boldness. Having started with God, their lives of restoration, in the Passover Experience, they met insurmountable obstacles. They met insurmountable obstacles. Whatever rosy pictures anybody paints for you regarding this New Year, no matter what breakthroughs anybody may promise you, I want you to know that this year is not obstacle-free.  Some people may not like that: but that is the truth. You will see with me as you go along.

The promises some preachers make can cause people to shout and feel good. And that is all: feel good – feel good. You will be deceived if you trust your feelings. There are obstacles in the New Year. How do you know? You may ask me, because Jesus said so.

In John 16:33b,

Jesus knew that those who trust in Him, those who actively follow Him may endure – experience tribulations or troubles. But He says, Be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.

If you are led by God you will discover that these obstacles will become mere stepping stones. These obstacles that he devil means to become stumbling blocks for you will become mere steeping stones. God led Israel as they left Egypt.

In Exodus 14, where we have our text, verses 1 and 2,

Exodus 14:1-2

Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea.

This is God leading them. And God led them not the way they thought they would have gone. God could have led them the short way, but God chose to lead them the long way. He had his reasons – because God said, if they would see war they would not be able to withstand the enemies. The enemy of Israel Pharaoh regretted doing the right thing in letting Israel go. He found out that the right thing he did was not in his best interest. Because in verse 5 of Exodus 14:

Ex 14:5-9

 

5 Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, “Why have we done this [they are regretting doing the right thing], that we have let Israel to go from serving us

Self-interest!

Do you regret sometimes doing the right thing because there is nothing in it for you, friend? Please don’t, because you will develop such negative attitude that will rob you of the blessings of God. Pharaoh learned the hard way.

I remember once in my own experience, many years ago, when I was a young preacher. Some people invited me to preach; and I spent a number of days there. The transportation was paid by me. Feeding was hard to come by. And then after those days they said, bye. And I was hurt. So I made up my mind I was going to be very very careful next time when anybody invited me. And because I regretted doing the right thing, when the opportunity came, when God wanted to pay me back handsomely for the way I was treated, I missed it; because I turned down that invitation. And that is as a result of my past experience.

Don’t regret doing the right thing. God will recompense you handsomely.

What was Israel’s obstacle? The obstacle was in their way as God was leading them. Notice that it was God who was leading them – yet they had obstacles. Israel was moving forward with God when suddenly they were confronted with insurmountable obstacles. The obstacles were immaterial as well as material.

When we come back, I will conclude the rest.

PRAYER

Father, thank You for Your Word; thank You for those who have listened, and those who have been listening, I’m praying Your blessings upon their lives, O God, in more ways than one, spiritually, physically, materially….in Jesus’ Name. Amen!

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