Journey in Stages

In Exodus 17:1 it says that the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages.

This is how God works in my life -  in stages.

The people of Israel didn’t leave the wilderness of Sin one day and enter the promised land the next. They traveled in stages from sin to promised land.

I have traveled in my life from sin on a route that is taking me to the promised land.

There have been things in my life that have helped and hindered.

The Helps:

God’s Word

God’s Word is not a science book, even though the science in it is truth.

God’s Word is not a history book, even though the history in it is accurate.

God’s Word is His story.

The Bible teaches us who God is.

The Bible teaches us what God does.

The Bible teaches us who we are.

The Bible teaches us what we can do.

Psalm 119:105

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Prayer

Prayer is not bringing out our wish list and trying to convince God to do everything on our list.

Prayer is the relationship with God.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Paul writes, “Pray without ceasing.”

If prayer is a religious ritual, then there is no way we can pray without ceasing. But I can stay in relationship with God all the time.

For any relationship, communication is the key. Prayer is the direct communication we have with God. I don’t need to go through anyone else to communicate with God. When Jesus died on the cross, He opened the way for direct access between us as human and a sinless, holy, perfect God.

Grace

Acts 20:24

But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

The focus is on a gospel that proclaims grace.

If God had not poured out His grace on me, I would not have:

Been Born

Heard the Gospel

Been Saved

Understanding of His Word

The Privilege of Prayer

Even the Desire to Know God

Grace is the thing that connects us with Jesus, keeps us focused on Jesus, and moves us along in our relationship with Jesus.

The Church, the Body of Christ

I need my brothers and sisters to help me to follow Jesus. I was not created or recreated to do life alone. I was created and recreated to do life together with Jesus and His followers.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is allowing the Father to move us in stages from sin to faith in Him.

The Obstacles:

Comfort

Psalm 73:12 reminds that if our lives are focused on ease or comfort it will lead to wickedness. It leads there because my life becomes about me, not God.

Life is not about my comfort; life is about me being conformed to the will and image of Jesus.

Pride

My life is to exalt and honor God, not me.

1 Peter 5:6 tells us to humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand and the result may surprise you: God will, at the proper time, exalt us. God can’t exalt us when we are prideful because we have put ourselves so high there is no room for God to exalt us. When I humble myself under God’s authority, it gives Him plenty of room to exalt  me.

Isolation

When the shepherd went and found the one sheep and left the ninety-nine. He did it because He knew that one sheep separated from the flock would be devoured.

When I separate myself from the faith family, I will be devoured and not have the encouragement or accountability to continue to follow Jesus.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is allowing God to remove those things that hinder me from following through the stages of sin to faith in Him.

In Stages, Following Jesus by Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,

                                                       Joe