Not Moving Forward

This is part five of our series, The Danger of Not Moving Forward. A scooter parked under a tarpaulin for the whole monsoon does not stay the same; the battery dies and the chain rusts. A believer who stops moving does not stay the same either. This message is about leaving the outer court, breaking your golden calf, and moving with a God who is always in motion.

“Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity…” (Hebrews 6:1-3)

Still Stuck in the Outer Court?

The outer court is where preparation begins, but it was never meant to be your address.

Many believers never go beyond it. They talk. They give excuses. They blame others. They tell you about a revival meeting in 2009 as if it happened yesterday. And they stay exactly where they are. When preparation is over, it is time to move forward, not to argue and not to delay.

A body that does not move falls sick. A spirit that sits idle becomes weak and rusty. People who once prayed, preached, and served now spend their evenings on gossip, laziness, and distractions. Nothing dramatic happened to them. They just stopped.

Who (or What) Is Your Golden Calf?

Israel built a golden calf because waiting felt harder than worshipping something they could see.

Moses was on the mountain with God for forty days. The people got impatient. They brought their gold earrings to Aaron, he melted them, and out came a calf. God was leading them from slavery to the Promised Land, and they built a monument in the middle of the road.

Your golden calf is probably not a statue. It could be entertainment you cannot switch off, a toxic relationship, gossip, a list of excuses, the phone and social media, a poverty mindset that says nothing ever changes for people like us, or a sinful habit you have made peace with. Sin is a habit; once it takes root it enslaves you. The golden calf stops movement. It becomes a monument to your delay.

God Is a God of Movement

From Genesis to Revelation God is moving, so why are you standing still?

“In the beginning, God created.” Creation itself began with movement: the Spirit of God hovering over the waters. Watch Him through the whole Bible. A rushing wind (Acts 2). A living river that gets deeper the further it flows (Ezekiel 47). A consuming fire. A cloud by day and fire by night leading a whole nation. Even when Jesus was asleep in the boat, the boat was still moving across the lake. God is always in motion.

The Only One Who Can Stop You, Is You

Tension, stress and other people can slow you down, but only you can actually stop you.

Twelve spies went into Canaan. Ten came back talking about giants. Two came back talking about grapes and about God’s promise. Joshua and Caleb moved forward when everyone else stood still, and forty years later they were the only two of that generation who walked in.

You know what happens to a puddle on the roadside after the rain. Stagnant water attracts mosquitoes. A stagnant spirit attracts bitterness, jealousy, anger, complaining, and comparison. Stagnation makes you judgmental instead of fruitful. You start criticising the people who are moving, because it is easier than moving yourself.

When You Receive Power, You Move

The power of the Holy Spirit is not given so you can sit but so that you can go.

Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses…” (Acts 1:8). True power pushes you into motion, into purpose. If your job, your marriage, or your ministry is stuck, it needs the power of the Holy Spirit to move again.

God does not call sleepy souls. He called David, who was serving faithfully with sheep where nobody was watching. He called Samuel, who stayed awake in the night and said, “Speak, Lord.” Be found awake.

Final Challenge: Keep Moving

If you are not moving with God, you are already moving away from Him.

You must have a heart to move with God. Do not stop after preparation. Do not turn back when it gets hard. Do not settle for a monument when God is writing a movement. Stay awake. Stay active. Keep praying. Keep giving. Keep believing. Keep moving.

This week

• Name your golden calf. Write it down, and this week delete it, cancel it, or step back from it.
• Do one thing you used to do for God and stopped: visit someone, serve on Sunday, come to the prayer meeting.
• Pray each morning, “Holy Spirit, give me power to move today” and take one step before noon.

May the God who moves fill you with His Spirit, and may you be found moving with Him this week.