Move It or Miss It

“You have stayed here long enough” is not just a line from Deuteronomy 1:6-8. It is the moment a stalled life gets named. We lean into Moses’ message to Israel and ask the question most of us avoid: what if the reason we haven’t grown is not lack of resources, but love of comfort?

We talk about why Deuteronomy sounds like a repeat, how a new generation can carry the same name but a different future, and how you can be close to the promised land while still trapped in cycles. We explore the difference between the first Israel and the next one: not better weapons, not better strategy, but deeper trust in God. If you’ve been waiting to feel “ready,” this will challenge you to stop demanding perfect timing, perfect people, and perfect conditions before you obey.

Along the way, we bring the message down to street level with stories about choosing “the usual,” the fear of trying something new, and what it means to push through early resistance because the outcome is worth it. If your next step feels scary, if obedience feels inconvenient, or if your church feels stuck, this is a clear call to shift now and trust God as you move.

Listen, share this with someone who needs a nudge forward, and then leave a review telling us: what first step are you taking this week?

Transcript

Worship And Praise

SPEAKER_00 0:00

God is so good God God is so good God is so good and he's so good to God is so good God is so good so good God so good so good God is so good and he's so good he died for me he died for on Calvary he died on an old rugged tree died for me and he's so good he's coming back he's coming one day he's coming to take me away he's coming back he's so good God is good God is so I know my God is so good God is so good he so good to me Lord you more precious than silver Lord you more costly than you more beautiful than diamonds and nothing I design compares with you Lord you are singing Lord Lord you are more precious than my Jesus Lord Lord you are more costly more than gold you more beautiful than diamonds and nothing desire compares with you so we place you we bless you and for you and a great high priest we bless you I come only you got and w ship at your face oh we bless you we bless you and yes bliss for great we bless you I'm we come only ship your fees form the waters of my souls

Deuteronomy Reading And Big Idea

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have to my heart desire and night I long to ship new are my strength shield to you alone my spirit are my eyes desire and I alone to wish you Amen Deuteronomy chapter number one Deuteronomy chapter number one I will read into your hearing verses six to eight de chapter number one verses six to eight scripture says the Lord our God spoke to us at Horeb saying you have stayed long enough at this mountain and set your journey and go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all their neighbors in the Arabah in the hill country and in the lowland and in the Negav and by the sea coast the land of the Canaanites and Lebanon as far as the great river the river Euphrates see I have placed the land before you go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to give to your fathers to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob to them and their descendants after them let me reemphasize this number six the Lord our God spoke to us at Horeb saying you have stayed here long enough if you read that with me say amen if you will from this passage I intend to exposite and explicate the Sonic idea shift move or miss it shift move or miss it the book of Deuteronomy is an interesting book it's interesting for several reasons one of the reasons is that Deuteronomy reads like a repeat of Exodus and Numbers.

Anderson George 7:37

In fact the word Deuteronomy comes from two Greek words deuteros meaning to or second and Namos meaning law deuteronomy sounds like a second retelling or a repeat of the law given in Exodus and that's important for you to know because the people that Moses are speaking to right now at the beginning of Deuteronomy were not around 40 years ago. The

A New Generation Hears The Law

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people Moses is speaking to right now they were too young to remember Sinai. Some of them were not even born when they were at Sinai and God gave them the 10 commandments the people who are currently listening to Moses are not the same people that we read about in the last chapter of Numbers. And that's important. If I had time I would tell you that it's almost as if Moses is talking to a new church it's almost as if Moses is talking to a different church it it it may be a church that has the same name but something changed in the past so that the church he's talking to now is not the church that was there a few years ago y'all may catch this on the way home where where Moses uh is speaking to Israel but the Israel of now is not the Israel of the last chapter and he has to tell them that it's time for them to move because God wants them to to make it to the promised land he he he has to tell them that the time for moving is now but he tells them it's time to move by telling them what happened when they moved 40 years ago. Come here he begins by saying in verse number six that God spoke to us at Horeb. Israel is currently not at Horeb. Israel has spent the last 40 years wandering in circles in fact if you read just further up in verse number two it tells you that they were just 11 days away from the promised land. I need you to see this they have been making circles in the wilderness and the circles they have been making allows them to be close to what God wanted them to achieve 40 years ago but never stepping into it. I wish I had a church you all don't know when to shout watch this they were seeing what God could do they were seeing the blessing they were seeing the promise they were seeing the land flowing with milk and honey but they couldn't step into it the only past near it for 40 years they could not get what was already theirs so Moses is now this is his last speech Deuteronomy is also one large speech of Moses the last thing he says his last will and testament as it will as he speaks to this new church as he speaks to this new generation as he gives them their history he's not trying to remind them of the bad things that happened in the past but he's telling them about it so they don't repeat the mistakes going forward he gives them a speech about the past to equip them for their journey in the present and into the future he looks back and he says after we were at Sinai for a year God told us we've been here long enough it's time to move so we need to go to Sinai and I want you to know that when Moses delivered God's people out of Egyptian captivity he brought them to Mount Horeb also called Mount Sinai it was there that Moses met God for 40 days and was given what we now call the Decalogue or the Ten Commandments it's

Eleven Days Away Yet Stuck

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where Israel was told I am the God that brought you out of Egyptian bondage thou shalt have no other gods before me that's where they were given the ten commandments and they spent a year there in preparation they spent a year there learning who God was learning his word and his will and after a year God told them you've been here long enough it's time to move now here's what you missed what they got was his word what they got was his will what they did not get was a sword you all miss it come here chod was going to walk them into Canaan and what he needed them to have was a knowledge of him a knowledge of who they were supposed to be a knowledge of his will for their life and that was supposed to be sufficient the problem is that Israel thought they needed to be bigger they thought they needed to have more weapons they thought they needed to be an army they thought they needed to know how to fight and so when the time came for them to go into the promised land they were unable to take it because they felt they were ill equipped and because they felt they were ill equipped because they did not learn the lesson they were supposed to learn when they were standing still they missed the message they missed the potential of entering into the promised land a few days later and now they wandered for 40 years. Moses speaks to these people 11 days from Canaan and he says I need you to remember what happened 40 years ago so that you don't repeat the same mistakes here's what I need you to understand church if I had time I would tell you that Israel was able to take Jericho. Israel was able to go against the Amorites Israel was able to go against the Canaanites Israel was able to march into that land and to take it I don't have time what I can tell you however is the Israel that marched into Canaan the second time was smaller. The Israel that marched into Canaan the second time was younger the Israel that marched into Canaan the second time only knew the wilderness they didn't come out of Egypt they didn't see what God did they had less

Trust God With Less Not More

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but did more y'all miss the shout see sometimes sometimes sometimes what happens is as you look at where you are you find all the reasons why you can't do bigger why you can't do better sometimes as a church we tell ourselves that we can do it in a big way because we're a smaller church. We don't have enough men we don't have enough women we don't have enough this we don't have enough that but I know a God who could take a little and do a lot with I know a God who says it doesn't matter what you have as long as I'm with you. You could just have a few loaves and some fish and I'll turn that into a banquet feast you could just have two pennies and I know how to multiply it. You just need 12 disciples and I could turn the world upside down. It doesn't matter how much you have it matters who's with you and so and so and so Israel is smaller Israel is younger Israel does not have the baggage of the past but they were able to do more with it in fact not even all of Israel was in every battle some of you may remember the story of Gideon and God said you had too much they were already smaller as an army and God said your small army is too big and he whittled them down until they were only 300 and with 300 God raised the city of Jericho with 300 you don't need more for God to do impossible with you right now let me say that again you don't need to get more you don't need to be more for God to do more God could work with you right where you are and accomplish great all he needs you to do is move what he needs you to do is shift. What he needs you to do the difference between New Israel and all Israel wasn't that new Israel knew jujitsu or knew how to find themselves as warriors in battle array the the new Israel were not more equipped in small swordsmanship or bow and arrow play the new Israel wasn't a better army the difference between New Israel and old Israel was that New Israel trusted God come what may the difference was New Israel said if God says move we'll move will not ask how tall the giants are will not complain about how big the obstacle is if God says move we'll just move because if we don't move we'll miss it Israel is being told by Moses God said you've stayed here long enough you've been at this corner long enough you already have what you need stop waiting for the perfect time because the perfect time will never come stop waiting for the perfect one because the perfect one does not exist if they're human let me say that again

Stop Waiting For Perfect Conditions

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there is no perfect person we are all imperfect and imperfectly perfect there is no perfect yeah you you could be waiting for Mr Wright oh no as always she's Mrs. Wright let me correct that you could be waiting for Mrs. Wright let me tell you her first name is sometimes you will catch that on the way home Mrs. Wright her first name is sometimes because there is no perfect person and sometimes what happens is we find ourselves stuck we find ourselves not moving because we're waiting for the perfect day the perfect weather the perfect person the perfect this the perfect that it will never come if we as a church say we need to wait until we have the perfect number and the perfect this and that we will never move and we'll miss what God wants to do amongst us we need to decide that even though we don't have the best numbers even though we could find what we don't have what we miss what we lack what we could get more of we need to be able to say God could still do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask think or even imagine with us now so we'll move now and trust God for everything else after Moses says you've been here long enough the reason why he has to say that is because sometimes it's possible that you become comfortable where you are you become Become comfortable, and so because of your comfort, you you never move. Israel weirdly enough became comfortable being slaves of Egypt, so that freedom was weird. Oh, I wish I had a church. Let me prove it to you because you're looking at me funny. While in captivity, they complained and said, God free us. When God freed them, every time they met an obstacle, they said, Let's go back to Egypt. Every time. It's because at some point they were in Egypt so long that it became comfortable and easier for them to deal with the devil that they know rather than walking into an unknown unknown.

Comfort Makes Egypt Feel Safe

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Isn't that our problem sometimes? You don't like to try new things. So you go to McDonald's, you go to the Chinese in Nashville, you go to Taco Bell, you go wherever you go, you go to Sonic, and you fool yourself and say, I'll try something new. And you look at the menu and it sounds good, but something in your mind gnaws at you, telling you you're not sure if it will taste as good as the one you're accustomed to getting. And so what you eventually do is decide I'll take the usual. And so you're scared to try something new. You're looking at me funny. I thought this was a unique experience that we all shared. I mean, I I told you that last week, right? Let me use I used ramen noodles last week. I told you I had ramen on Tuesday and on Wednesday and on Thursday and on Friday. And then I had a conversation with John Johnson. And he told me that the ramen that I spoke about, I said I bought for $1.87. And he said that was expensive. And and and then he he sent me pictures of 60 cent ramen and 80 cent ramen. And I remember going into Walmart this week and I stood up and I saw all of them. I saw the same brands that were in the pictures that he sent me. I saw the same price. I saw ramen a dollar cheaper than I was accustomed to paying for it. And I left all of them there. Because here's what I did. Here's what I did. I rationed in my mind that the ramen I buy costs more because it tastes better. This other brand can't be as good. That's why it's cheaper. I then remember seeing, because I'm justifying myself while standing at the aisle, I then noticed that the brand I like, there are fewer of it on the shelf. And the brand that he told me about, they're packed high, hasn't looked like someone took one in a while. And so I left Wally World

The Ramen Story About Stagnation

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not choosing a different brand because I was comfortable. And I told you all of that to disarm you. You do the same thing as well, and so you don't step out of yourself because you're comfortable, you don't do more in church because you're comfortable, you don't try to push yourself because you're comfortable. And here's God saying, You've been here long enough. If you keep doing this, you'll miss what I'm trying to do. So you have two choices now: move it or miss it. The choice is yours. So Moses stands here and he tells them, I need you to turn and set your journey. It's interesting that he says turn because whatever direction he's speaking to them from now, it's opposite from the direction they need to be going towards. So he says, I need you to turn and face the right direction. Set your journey, go to the hill country of the Amorites. Go, it's it's mentioned several times the hill country of the Amorites and the hill country and the lowland and in the negev. And if we could put a map up, I'll show you that what Moses told them was it's not going to be an easy 11-day journey. It's only 11 days. You've been here 40 years, you only have 11 more days, but it's not going to be easy. There are some hills, there are some obstacles, and even when you're in the valley, even when there are no hills, it's desert, it's just sand, no water, no food. He's he's telling them that as you move, it's not going to be easy, but then verse number eight says you're going to possess the land that God said you would. It's not going to be easy, but it's going to be worth it. Let me tell you a true story. When I was courting Mahalia, my dad had a curfew that he wanted me to keep. That curfew at the time was 12 p.m. And I remember I took Mahalia out on a date, and and and it was just such a great date. She was such an awesome person. I say was as if she is.

Turn Toward The Hard Journey

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But it means that I would have to cut the evening short. And this evening was too good to cut short. And so we stayed there until the waiter came to us and said that there's no one else in the restaurant. We're closing, you need to leave. We literally were the last people leaving. And when we left, it was closer to 1 a.m. And I want you to know that I was scared on the inside, but I was brave on the outside. And I was scared because I've never broken curfew before, and my dad is a no-nonsense type of fella. And I'm worried that when I get home, there's going to be inconceivable consequences. But I told myself it is rough now, but it'll be worth it. Come here, church, come here, you're missing this. I knew what was immediately ahead of me was consequences. Negative consequences. But I was able to look down the road beyond the immediate and tell myself it will be worth it. At some point, she'll say yes. At some point, I'll put a ring on that finger and her saying yes, that ring on the finger, and her walking down the aisle would be worth me now incurring the wrath of my dad. Let me pause for a Bible commercial. If you're here and you have curfew, everything I'm saying now does not apply to you. Keep the curfew. Alright, back to the story. Just had to give the disclaimer. And I remember I didn't tell Mahalia any of this because I didn't want to ruin the night. And so I

Breaking Curfew For A Future Yes

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played casual and nonchalant. And I drived her home, and I remember as soon as she got out the car and she was safely in her house, I drew, I drove like a bat out of hell. Heading home because in my mind I know my dad. My dad is timing not just the fact that I broke curfew, he's also timing to see how long the brick is. So now I want to shorten it. I'm speeding. Can't tell the numbers I did, but I was speeding all the way home. My dad, true story. My dad decided he was going to change the lock on the gate that opens for the car to drive in. When I arrived at my driveway, I pulled out my keys and I go to unlock the gate so that I could open it and drive in. My keys didn't work. I had the presence of mind not to call my dad, so I called my sister. And while calling her, yelling out to her, she looks at me from the window and she tells me, Daddy told me not to help you. True story. So I went back in the car, I reclined my chair, and I went to sleep. Somewhere around 5:30 in the morning, there's a on the car window, and there's my dad. And that's where I'm going to end the story. But a few months later, Mahilia said yes. And then just about a year and a half later, she walked down the aisle. And every time I think about what happened, then I tell myself it was worth it because of what I got in the end. Again, disclaimer: if you've only now been listening and you're in your parents' house, Anderson did not say break of you. What he said was he did. And if you missed it, there were consequences. But I'm telling you that story because it's an example of hardship I experienced that was in my mind necessary for something good to come. Moses, as he tells Israel, you've been here long enough, is also telling them it's not going to be easy. But if you move, it'll be worth it. I'm here to tell you now, you may be stuck where you are because you've been afraid to step out and do that new thing, step out and try that new thing, become more than you are now because it's easier to be comfortable than step out into the unknown. I'm not telling you that if you are to step out, it will be easy. There will be challenges. But if you're moving with God, your end will be more blessed than your beginning. If as a church we decide we're going to move it because we don't want to miss it, we will be tested, we will be tried, but I guarantee you there are promises of better and blessings in store for mineral springs, in our movement, and not in our stagnation. You've been here long enough. It's time to move. Last thing I'll say within the week from Sunday, after preaching the first

The First Step Is The Hardest

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sermon in the shift series, Letting Go and Leaning In, I've heard from several of you. And the sentiment essentially was from everyone, it's time for me to shift. And I thought that this was a fitting follow-up because the problem is never in deciding to shift, it's in actually making the first step. Well, that was a good amen point right there. That was like, ooh. And if you can say amen, say ouch. Because the truth is, sometimes, sometimes it's not that you didn't decide to move, it's that that first step of movement is the most difficult. Sometimes you made all the decisions. I'm going to lose weight, I'm going to exercise more, I'm going to do this, that, and the other, I'm going to change my life. That's not the problem. It's easy to plan, it's easy to have goals, it's easy to decide that you're going to shift. The problem comes when it's actually time to shift. This week, I decided to be the man of my house and put Mahalia on a strict salad diet. She didn't like me for the first three days. And there was a point within the first three days where I knew what I was doing was for her own good. And that the complaining, the murmuring, the resistance that I was feeling from her, I should endure it because it's for her own good. But I remember that late one evening within the first three days, she began to fuss about her salad. And she asked if she could supplement a salad with a snack. And I'm like, sure, once it's healthy, and then she suggested a snack that I didn't deem healthy enough. And when she did that, she she she was adamant that I didn't have to be so strict. We don't have to go cold turkey. We don't need to be this all in. And there was a brief moment where I wanted to cave in because the pressure felt too much. And I was doing this for her benefit. In my mind, I started telling myself, we could go back to how it was. It doesn't affect me. This affects you more than it affects me. I told myself that, but I had to still myself. I had to still myself, I had to find my resolve and say that this will be worth it in the end. Yesterday evening, she's dancing around the parsonage. It's like, honey, what's the matter? Said, I'm down three pounds. And I was like, that's awesome. In my mind, however, I was saying, you little wretch, just a few days earlier, you didn't want this. But look at what it has already done just six days in. Said all of that to say that sometimes we resist, we fight, not because we don't want it, but because we've gotten comfortable with where we are. But this sermon, like the first one, is calling you to shift. But it is saying it's time to actually take a step

Prayer Invitation To Shift

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or you will miss what God is trying to do in your life. Let's all stand. Let's all stand. Move it or miss it. Now, as we continue shifting, I want to pray with you. If that is your prayer, that God helps you take your first step. I don't know what your first step is. You could be here, you heard all of this, and and and your first step could simply be, I want to be healthier tomorrow. If that's your first step, I want to pray that you take it. You could be here and you could be saying, I want to be where God wants me to be spiritually. And so I want to take that first step to position myself for God to really use me and be glorified through me. I want to pray with you and for you that you make that first step and that as you move, you see the hand of God. So we're going to sing. If you would like prayer, meet me on the front row, and we'll pray that as you shift, God shifts to and does awesome things for you and for us as a church community as we sing.