The Mystery of the Unknown

Exodus 13-14

Why we don’t like the unknown:

Three Reasons God will deter your life into the unknown:

1. For your Good (Cause You’re not ready yet)

2. For His Glory

3. Grow your faith

When you are headed into the mystery of the unknown, I want you to know three things:

1. God is for us.

2. God has a plan.

3. God is in control.

Mystery in Motion

Joshua 3:1-4

Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over.  After three days the officers went throughout the camp, giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it.  Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits between you and the ark; do not go near it." 

1. Courage is Crucial

Joshua 1:9

Romans 8:31

Romans 8:37

Mark 11:23

2.Faithfulness is His Forte

Hebrews 10:23

2 Timothy 2:13

Hebrews 6:18

3.Fix Your Focus

Joshua 3:3-5

Psalms 34:1-4

4.Confidence is Contagious 

Joshua 3:16-17

Psalms 66:12

2 Corinthians 1:10

Joshua 1:8

Philippians 4:4-5 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

Happiness vs. Joy

*Worry is carrying tomorrows load with today’s strength!

How to have Joy for Life?

1. Pray- about everything

Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

*Three things to thank God for:

2. Perspective- think about right things

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.

Colossians 3:2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

*The mind is where the battle is won.

3. Practice- do the right things

Philippians 4:9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:12-13 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

4. Position (for Joy)- Trust God in ALL things.

Philippians 3:1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.

Three Dangers to every believer:

Philippians 3:2-3

2 Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. 3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—

1. Don’t substitute rules for relationship

Philippians 3:4-6 Though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.

2. Don’t substitute rubbish for riches

Philippians 3:7-8 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

Philippians 3:9-11 And be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

3. Don’t substitute Complacency over intimacy

Philippians 3:12-14Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 2:5-11  You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8  he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

J- JESUS

Philippians 2:5-7  You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form

O- OTHERS 

Philippians 2: 3-4 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

Y- YOURSELF

Philippians 2:13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

Philippians 1:3-6 I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Difference between happiness vs joy:

1. Happiness is outside, Joy is inside

2 Corinthians 11:23-27 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.

2. Happiness is based on circumstances, Joy is based on Christ

Philippians 4:11 …for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.

3. Happiness happens by chance. Joy happens by choice

Secret to Joy

1. Stop asking “why?”

2. Start asking “what?”

God…

3. Focus on what really matters.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Taking Captive My Thoughts:

1. Recognize the lies

2. Reject harmful thoughts

3. Replace with Truth

Genesis 3:1-5 -

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

3 Truths:

How to defeat the enemy:

The harvest depends on three things:

     1. The harvest depends on where you sow. (Psalm 1:1-6)

      2. The harvest depends on when you sow. (1 John 2:15)

      3. The harvest depends on why you sow. (Galatians 5:16)

THE LAW OF THE HARVEST

      1. We sow and reap in like kinds. (v.7-8)

      2. We reap later than we sow. (v.9)

      3. We reap more than we sow.

Fruit is not something you try to produce to become a christian, it is something you produce because you are a christian.

What type of Root SYSTEM do you have?

Where are you drawing life from?

What fruit is on your vine?